Bloodstained Souls
by AlucardsBro
Summary: Ichigo has been exposed to many shocking things throughout his life, and as such he was certain nothing else could surprise him. However, after learning about the existence of other supernatural entities and religious figures aside from the Soul Society, he is thrust once again into a new adventure. Vampires, Devils, and Angels…OH MY!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Life Moves On

—

 **Hello everyone, and welcome to the first chapter of "Bloodstained Souls!"**

 **Unlike my other Bleach crossover, this story takes place after the** _ **Winter War**_ **arc. As far as the Hellsing timeline is concerned, it takes place before/during the main events of** _ **Hellsing Ultimate**_ **. Since both series are focussed majorly on spiritual and paranormal events and aspects, I already have quite a few ideas on how to tie them both together. I might change a few canon events and facts from either series in order for this story to make sense, but it shouldn't be anything too major. Since the events of** _ **Hellsing Ultimate**_ **take place in 1999, this story will obviously take place in the same year.**

 **Given that there are so few female characters in Hellsing, most people can already probably guess what the end pairing will end up being. However, as with my other story, I will still be holding a voting poll to determine who everyone wants Ichigo to end up with. I should also probably mention that Ichigo will be eighteen in this story, and if anyone thinks this to be too much of a stretch, let me just say that I was eighteen during my last year of high school.**

 **I have also been thinking about including some characters from High School DxD in this story.**

 **As with "Professor Kurosaki" reviews are always welcome, and I hope that anyone reading this finds it to be an enjoyable first chapter.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

—

Flying from Tokyo to London for thirteen hours straight was not something Ichigo would recommend to anyone.

Then again, he couldn't really complain. After losing his Soul Reaper powers in the fight against Aizen, he suddenly had a lot of free time on his hands. With no missions from Soul Society, and without the means to patrol Karakura Town for Hollows, Ichigo's life had become exceptionally mundane.

Uryu, Chad, and Orihime had all assured him that they would manage to defend the city just fine without him, but the orange-head couldn't help the feeling of utter uselessness that came with the loss of his abilities. It had been several months since the war with Aizen had ended, and summer break was now officially in motion, but the last thing Ichigo wanted to do was sit around and mope. He needed something to occupy his mind.

His father had suggested that he get another job, and although he had to admit he enjoyed working for Ikumi, goat-chin seemed to have something else in mind. When he had asked the former Captain what he was up to, Isshin had simply grinned and said he called in a favor from an old friend. Yeah…like that wasn't suspicious at all.

Currently, Ichigo was standing inside Heathrow International Airport, which was only sixteen miles outside of London. Looking down at his watch, he scowled as he noted that there was at least thirty more minutes until he was scheduled to be picked up and taken to his new residence. Speaking of which, he still had no idea what kind of work he would be doing, nor for whom, but when he had attempted to refuse his dad's offer Isshin had beaten him over the head with a suitcase of all things and yelled about how he had already cashed in his favor, and there was no backing out of it.

"Damn…at least I have some time to get a bite to eat," Ichigo growled under his breath in fluent English. Ignoring the various stares he was receiving due to his exotic look, the former Substitute shouldered his bags and walked over to the nearest food court, intent on finding a cheeseburger. Unfortunately, he barely made it two feet before someone nearby cleared their throat to get his attention.

Sighing, Ichigo turned slightly and came face-to-face with a rather distinguished looking older man. The gentleman in question had his black hair pulled back into a low ponytail, and his attire consisted of what one might assume to find on a butler. The look was ironically completed by the man's monocle.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, I presume?"

Raising an eyebrow, the orange-head turned to completely face the newcomer and fixed him with a slightly cautious gaze. "Yeah, that's me…am I supposed to know you?"

The sharply dressed man chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head. "I would not imagine so; my name is Walter C. Dornez, retainer of Hellsing Manor. I was instructed earlier today to pick up one Ichigo Kurosaki from the airport."

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly and his backpack nearly slid off of his shoulder. The person he was going to be working for was rich enough to actually have their own butler?! That in itself wasn't extremely surprising, as a lot of the more noble families in Soul Society had servants, but the fact that his father of all people knew someone so well off in the World of the Living nearly made his head spin. His internal thought process was interrupted when Walter picked up one of his suitcases.

"Come along Master Ichigo, we shouldn't keep Sir Integra waiting."

Shaking off his surprise, the orange-head followed the older man though the airport and out into the parking lot, where yet another surprise was waiting for him in the form of a limousine. Seriously, the fact that someone who was clearly a butler was carrying his bags was already drawing a lot of attention, but now that he was getting into a fucking _LIMOUSINE,_ Ichigo could practically feel the curious and judgmental looks he was receiving. Sliding into a plush leather seat, the young man couldn't help but sigh in relief and contentment at the fact that he was finally getting to his destination. Walter smirked from within the driver's seat. "Make yourself comfortable Master Ichigo, we should arrive at Hellsing Manor in about twenty-five minutes."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Ichigo closed his eyes and relaxed into his seat.

Hellsing…why did that name sound so familiar?

—

The drive though London became pleasant once they actually exited the city. The British countryside was something that Ichigo had always heard was beautiful, and now that he was experiencing it firsthand, he could attest to it being true.

Walter was good company, and he had informed the former Substitute of what was expected of him now that he was a staff member at the Manor. The only thing that had Ichigo slightly concerned was how much the retainer had stressed that he show Sir Integra the proper amount of respect. Whoever he was, Integra sounded like one hell of an intimidating man; although, Ichigo had to admit that even for an Englishman, his name sounded peculiar for a man.

As they neared their destination, the young man found that he was actually feeling kind of excited. A new job in another country was never something that he had envisioned himself doing, but the experience would most likely end up being good for him.

"Ah, here we are." Walter spoke up from the driver's seat, and Ichigo turned his head to see an enormous mansion sitting atop an oncoming hill. As the limo pulled into the extensive gravel driveway, the brown-eyed teen took notice of groups of what appeared to be private security forces moving across the lawn. The fact that such people were on the property was to be expected, but the weaponry that the men were carrying looked more like they belonged in a war zone.

The vehicle came to a stop several yards away from what seemed to be the main entrance to the Manor, but before Ichigo could even move to open the passenger door, Walter was already doing so for him politely. "Welcome to the Hellsing estate Master Ichigo, please leave your belongings in the car so that the staff may take them to your room."

Ichigo blinked. "Wait, what?"

Walter grinned but otherwise continued walking towards the mansion. "Come along young Master, we mustn't dally around. Sir Integra has been awaiting your arrival with what I must admit to be a great amount of interest."

Shaking out of his stupor, Ichigo moved to follow the retainer, and almost immediately after he did so a group of maids quickly approached the car and collected all of his bags. The young women spared him a look and giggled amongst themselves, but a sharp look from Walter easily sent them on their way. The older gentleman shook his head and let out a sigh, "Oh I so envy the youth of today…ah to be young again."

"Um…come again?" Ichigo asked cautiously.

"Oh never you mind young Master; now please follow me."

Deciding not to dwell on the topic, Ichigo silently followed Walter through the manor towards what he had been informed was Sir Integra's personal office. During the duration of their walk, the butler had seen fit to question and remind Ichigo of the etiquette he was expected to follow while in Integra's presence. The more that he was cautioned to show his new employer the appropriate amount of respect, the more the former Substitute began to sweat nervously. Working under Ikumi had more than instilled in him a healthy fear of repeat for one's superiors, even if that philosophy hadn't followed him into the Soul Society. Once again, Walter's voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Here we are. Now, before you go in I feel I must remind you of several things one final time. Firstly, you are to address Master Integra as 'Sir' whenever you speak. Secondly, you are not to speak unless you are directly spoken to first, however if you feel as though you must provide some input into the conversation, then I expect you to do so politely. Thirdly, and I truly cannot stress this enough, do not show any kind of surprise or disbelief when you enter this office."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow curiously. "Why would I be surprised…?"

Walter smiled knowingly and gave his fellow employee a patronizing pat on the shoulder. "Just believe me young Master; now then, get in there and do your best." The butler opened the door to the office and unceremoniously shoved the orange-head through, nearly sending him tumbling to the floor. The door was shut behind him, and Ichigo swallowed thickly before turning towards the massive desk on the opposite side of the room.

Well then…

He certainly understood why Walter had warned him not to show any surprise…

Sitting at the desk was an astoundingly beautiful woman who barely seemed a few years older than he was. The woman in question had deeply tanned skin and nearly platinum blonde hair, which fell down her back and shoulders like a cascading waterfall. Her crystalline blue eyes snapped up from whatever document she had been reading, directing all of her attention on the young man in her office.

"Ichigo Kurosaki I presume?

Ichigo responded oh so elegantly. "Uhhh…"

"Naturally. Allow me to introduce myself; I am Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, daughter of Sir Arthur Hellsing and the proprietor of the Hellsing Estate. It is a pleasure to make the acquaintance of Isshin Kurosaki's son."

That certainly got Ichigo's attention.

"Wait, you know my old man?"

If Integra was at all put off by the young man's informal tone, then she did a very good job of hiding it. "I never knew Mister Kurosaki personally, but during my childhood I was informed by Walter that he was a good friend of my father's. When I learned that Isshin still had a favor as of yet not repaid from my late father, I couldn't very well allow a debt to go unsettled. Therefore, allowing you employment here at Hellsing Manor was a rather paltry matter."

Ichigo nodded along uncertainly.

Leaning forward across her desk, Integra opened up what appeared to be a case of cigars. Withdrawing one, she pulled out a lighter and lit the end before taking a deep inhale. Ichigo was never personally a fan of smoking, but since his father did it once a year on the anniversary of his mother's death, it didn't really bother him too much.

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, Integra fixed her newest employee with a rather scrutinizing gaze. "Tell me Ichigo, do you believe in the supernatural?"

Well shit, if that wasn't a suspiciously loaded question if he ever heard one…

Apparently it had been rhetorical, as Integra continued speaking without waiting for him to respond. "I am very well aware of the existence of you Shinigami, as well as the creatures you call Hollows. Isshin made certain to inform me of all of the things you have had to deal with during your tenure as a Soul Reaper, and I must express my gratitude for your victory over Sosuke Aizen."

"You know about Aizen too?!"

"Indeed, although I have to admit that I was only aware of his existence after your father called me. Let me be frank, as far as I have been informed Soul Society only has jurisdiction over the island country of Japan. The rest of the world is ruled over by various religious deities and supernatural figures. Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, werewolves, vampires…all of these beings exist Ichigo."

The world suddenly became hazy and his vision started to fade, but before he could fall to the ground Ichigo found himself being steadied by Integra herself. "I understand that all of this might be a bit overwhelming for you, but I need you to continue listening."

The orange-head nodded dumbly and allowed himself to be led to the chair in front of Integra's desk. Sitting down a bit shakily, Ichigo took a moment to process such a large revelation. He had to admit, he had always thought it was a bit peculiar that the entire world would have to conform to a traditional Japanese lifestyle in Soul Society after their deaths, but now that he knew that other supernatural entities and various afterlives existed, it made a little more sense.

"The purpose of my organization is very straightforward; we protect London and by extension the various areas surrounding England from supernatural threats. In my time as the head of the Hellsing family, I have seen creatures such as demons, werewolves, and zombies; however, the most prominent threat we face here in London is from vampires." Integra explained patiently as she sat back down in her own leather chair.

Ichigo regained enough of his bearings to finally make sense of something that had been bothering him for quite some time. "Vampires? Wait…Hellsing…that means…"

Integra's smirked as her new employee finally seemed to make the connection. "Indeed, I am the direct descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, one of the main characters in Bram Stoker's 'Dracula.' My great-grandfather's comrade Johnathan Harker was good friends with Stoker, and during the last few months of his life he revealed the nature of his encounter with the infamous Count. Stoker would then go on to write 'Dracula' as if it were nothing more than a fictional account of a secretly true series of events."

"Dracula was actually real?"

The blonde woman rolled her eyes, but continued to smirk nonetheless. "Quite so, but that isn't what I want to talk to you about. Given that you have extensive history and knowledge concerning the supernatural world, it only made sense to hire you when your father called me with his request. Your duties while under my employ will consist of ordinary things such as assisting Walter with various tasks and chores around the house, while also accompanying one of my other top agents into the field to deal with any supernatural creatures that may appear. Does this sound acceptable to you?"

Ichigo was silent for a moment before nodding firmly. While it definitely wouldn't be the same as hunting Hollows with his friends in Karakura Town or Rukia, it still sounded like he would be protecting the unsuspecting people of the World of the Living from threats to their everyday lives. And what kind of a person would he be if he didn't accept such an offer?

Integra's grin widened even more at his confirmation, and she reached across her desk with a single hand. "Welcome to the Hellsing Organization Agent Kurosaki; I do sincerely hope that you enjoy working with us." The Substitute smiled back and shook his new boss' hand firmly. Integra didn't seem like the kind of woman who needed a man to restrain himself during a handshake, and his guess seemed to be accurate when she gave him an appreciative nod.

The moment was disrupted when a knock on the door echoed through the room, before Walter entered with a polite bow. "Do forgive me for interrupting Sir Integra, but Alucard has returned from his assignment in the village of Cheddar. It seems as though he has…brought someone along with him."

Integra's eyes widened almost imperceptibly before she quickly rose to her feet. "He what?! Walter, tell my servant that I wish to speak with him immediately! I presume that you and Ichigo can handle whoever he has brought with him?"

Walter actually looked slightly amused at the question. "I doubt that will be much of an issue Sir."

Nodding, the Hellsing leader turned to Ichigo. "I apologize for cutting our meeting so short, but it seems as though I must deal with a misbehaving dog." The way in which she described one of her staff members made the orange-head sweat drop slightly, but Walter pulled him along before he could voice his concerns.

As the two men walked through the halls of Hellsing Manor, they passed by another masculine figure heading in the direction from which they had just come. He mostly ignored them, but when the figure accidentally bumped shoulders with Ichigo, the former Substitute caught a glimpse of smoldering crimson eyes and nearly fell to his knees as a feeling of utter maliciousness washed over him. The man received a glare from Walter, but simply chuckled deeply and continued on his way to Integra's office.

"I do apologize for Alucard Master Ichigo…he can what you young people would call an 'asshole.'" Walter sounded genuinely concerned as he helped the young man back up to his feet, but the elder retainer's worries didn't even register to Ichigo's senses. Even if it was only for a moment, he had actually been able to feel Alucard's Spiritual Energy despite the loss of his powers.

And what he had felt was utterly _MONSTROUS._

"I-It's fine…" He attempted to wave off Walter's worry, and although it was clear that the older man was still concerned, he let the issue slide without a fuss.

"Right then, let us see who all of the fuss is about." Walter continued to lead him through the extensive hallways of the mansion, and eventually they came to a room with a maid standing outside. She turned to greet them, but held out her hands when they attempted to enter the room.

"I do apologize gentlemen, but the young lady is in the process of being cleaned and dressed in some more appropriate clothing. The poor dear was covered in blood when Alucard brought her in, and not all of it was her own."

Walter's eyes seemed to soften at the news, and Ichigo himself felt more than a small amount of sympathy for whoever was inside. After waiting for at least ten more minutes, the group of maids who had been attending to the girl exited the room and finally gave them permission to enter. Upon entering, the first thing Ichigo noticed was that there was a large bed in the center of the room, but it was the occupant of the bed that really got his attention.

The girl seemed to be around his age, and her pale skin and short blonde hair affirmed the fact that she was British. She wore a light blue pair of pajamas, but that did absolutely nothing to hide what Ichigo had to reluctantly admit were her most prominent characteristics.

Now, many people throughout his life had called Ichigo a prude, whether they be from the World of the Living or the Soul Society. However, let it be know that he was still most definitely a healthy young man in his late teens, and therefore he could appreciate a nice pair of breasts.

Rangiku's immediately came to mind, but she was too much of a flirty tease to be his type. Yoruichi had a nice pair of tits as well, and if he could have it his way he would take that to his grave. If the Flash Goddess ever found out that he'd been sneaking glances at her in the hot springs, she'd never let him hear the end of it.

Ichigo's face flushed as he realized where his train of thought was headed, and shook his head to bring himself back to the situation at hand. Even so, it was because he was looking at the blonde girl's chest that he realized something rather important.

"She's not breathing!"

Walter hummed and moved forward to inspect the young woman. "Not to worry Master Ichigo, it would make sense that she is not breathing considering she is now a vampire." The elderly retainer brushed aside several locks of the girl's hair to reveal to small puncture marks on her neck. "It seems as though Alucard has finally taken on a fledgling…"

"Wait, that guy was a vampire?"

"Quite so. Ah, it appears as though our guest is waking up."

Ichigo turned away from Walter and felt something weird twist in his stomach when he looked into a pair of startlingly blue eyes. The young woman stared back at him silently for a few moments before a small blush spread across her cheeks. "W-Where am I…?"

"Do not fear my dear, you are recovering from your injuries in one of Hellsing Manor's many bedrooms," Walter answered for her, but her eyes were still trained explicitly on the former Substitute. The girl sat up slightly while pulling the bedsheets up to cover her chest, and finally looked away from Ichigo to inspect the room in a mixture of caution and curiosity. Deciding to be courteous, Walter continued with introductions. "Allow me to introduce ourselves, my name is Walter C. Dornez, retainer and caretaker of this estate. The orange-haired young man with me is Ichigo Kurosaki, a recently new employee from Karakura, Japan. May I ask who you are?"

The blonde woman looked back at them and gave Ichigo another brief glance, blushing slightly once again before turning to look at Walter. "I-I'm Seras…Seras Victoria."

Walter smiled kindly and bowed to her politely, prompting Ichigo to do the same. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Victoria, but now that you are awake I must go inform Sir Integra. Keep her company won't you Ichigo?" The older man winked teasingly in the orange-head's direction before exiting the room, leaving the young man and woman alone in a rather awkward silence.

"So uh…are you feeling okay?" Ichigo offered lamely, internally wincing at the rather poor attempt at a conversation starter.

Seras nodded timidly, but otherwise remained quiet.

The former Substitute scowled slightly, not wanting this to get anymore awkward than it already was. "Do you mind if I ask what happened to you?"

Seras looked down and clutched the sheets tightly. "I was a police officer…and we received a call about a disturbance at a church." As she spoke, Ichigo moved over to sit on the side of the bed, but the blonde didn't seem to mind.

"When we got there, we saw so many dead bodies…there was blood everywhere, and standing in the middle of it all was just one man. Before I could even blink, he killed both of my partners and turned them into some kind of monsters…" Seras' voice began to quiver, and moisture started to gather in the corners of her eyes. Ichigo remained silent as she continued with her story.

"I was so afraid, and my gun didn't hurt him at all, so I ran as fast as I could…but before long I was surrounded by all of the people I thought were dead." At this point, tears freely began to fall from her eyes, and Ichigo felt his chest constrict with sympathy.

"Then HE found me, and he started to…to…he said he was going to r-rap…" Seras' voice failed her and she broke into a series of sobs, wrapping her arms around herself and turning away from the other occupant of the room. Ichigo reached forward to place a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, but was taken completely off guard when the blonde all but launched herself into his arms and sobbed into his chest. Not entirely sure what so do, the orange-head hesitantly wrapped his arms around Seras' shaking form, and although she tensed up at first, she quickly relaxed and continued to cry.

Since she couldn't see his face, Ichigo allowed an enraged snarl to form across his features. Although she hadn't been able to complete her sentence, he had a very good idea of what she was going to say. The brown-eyed young man hated many things, but rapists were at the very top of that list. Luckily, it sounded as though Seras had been rescued before something too bad had been able to happen to her, and for that he was grateful.

The fledgling vampire continued to cry into the former Substitute's shirt until eventually her sobs decreased into hiccups and her shaking had reduced into a mild tremble. Despite knowing how important it was to comfort her, Ichigo had to admit that being a simple human in a vampire's grip was starting to feel a bit straining. Seriously, her strength could probably allow her to compact a car with her bare hands.

"Feeling better?" He asked softly, but the fabric of his shirt muffled whatever reply the blonde in his arms gave. Fortunately, he was able to discern her response thanks to her small nod. Pulling away slightly, Seras wiped her eyes and offered him a small smile, which was accompanied by a growing blush.

"Thank you Ichigo…"

Ichigo simply smiled kindly and squeezed her shoulder in a gesture of compassion.

"Any time."

—

"Are you sure it was a wise idea to send him to London?"

Isshin Kurosaki glanced up from his deck of cards to meet Kisuke's speculative gaze, before simply shrugging and withdrawing yet another one. "Why? Working abroad will be good for my dear son, and Soul King knows he could use something to occupy his time. Ichigo is the kind of young man who needs something to drive him, and in his case that driving force is his need to protect others. Without his powers, he lost the means to do so on a grand scale."

Kisuke sighed and picked up another card of his own. "I can understand that…and Integra will be able to give him a way to protect people without his Soul Reaper or Hollow powers. However, that's not entirely what I'm concerned about."

"You mean Alucard?" Isshin guessed.

"What else? That monster has been under Soul Society's radar for the last five-hundred years, and he's killed more innocent people than Aizen could ever dream of doing. The only reason Yamamoto has allowed him to remain in the World of the Living is because of his servitude to the Hellsing family, and Integra is not the kind of woman to use power for her own personal gain."

Isshin cracked a smirk and chuckled lightly. "I remember when Arthur invited Masaki and I to see her only a few weeks after she was born. She was always such a prim and proper little girl." Placing his cards down, the Kurosaki patriarch leaned back in his chair and took a sip from his saucer of sake. "Still, I'll admit that I'm concerned for my son, but if I don't allow him to make mistakes and learn new things on his own then I wouldn't be a very good father."

Kisuke snorted and let his own cards fall from his hands as well. "And who knows, maybe he'll get a girlfriend…"

Both men were silent for at least a minute before simultaneously bursting out laughing. Ichigo, getting a girlfriend in somewhere as fancy as London? Yeah, that'd be the day.

—

 **And there we have it.**

 **Ichigo has traveled to London, met Walter, been hired by Integra, and briefly encountered Alucard. Don't worry Hellsing fans, this story will get** _ **WAY**_ **more violent as it progresses.**

 **Just to be clear, at this point in time Seras and Ichigo are only beginning to form a bond of friendship. He comforted her in a time that she truly needed it, and if you've watched** _ **Hellsing Ultimate,**_ **then you know just how traumatizing her experience really was. Even I will admit to getting slightly angry while I watched it.**

 **Anyway, as I mentioned before, I am considering incorporating some elements and characters from High School DxD into this story, since that series also focusses on paranormal aspects and supernatural figures. I mean, you know, when they aren't shoving fan service down your throat. (Not that I'm complaining). If there are any other supernaturally oriented series anyone can suggest to being included in this shared universe, then feel free to name them in any reviews you may have.**

 **As with my other story "Professor Kurosaki," here is a list of female characters that are currently in the pairing poll:**

 **Seras Victoria (Obviously)**

 **Integra Hellsing**

 **Zorin Blitz**

 **Rip Van Winkle**

 **Yumiko Takagi**

 **Heinkel Wolfe**

 **Raynare**

 **Kalawarner**

 **Rias Gremory**

 **Akeno Himejima**

 **Tiamat**

 **Yuebelluna**

 **Feel free to suggest any other ideas you may have. Just because there may be a character in the poll, it doesn't mean she will end up with Ichigo in the slightest. And just for anyone who doesn't already know, Seras is nineteen and Integra is twenty-two.**

 **As always, thank you for reading, and I hope you all continue to follow along with me throughout this story.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: The Wrath of God

—

 **Hello everyone, and welcome to the newest chapter of "Bloodstained Souls!"**

 **This story has received some fairly good reception so far, and although it's not on the same scale as "Professor Kurosaki" I am still happy nonetheless.**

 **Unsurprisingly, in the good majority of reviews I've read, most of the people following this story already want our dear little Seras to end up with everyone's favorite Strawberry. However, Integra has actually received a few votes herself, so I wouldn't count her out of the running just yet!**

 **Aside from that, I would like to address a specific review I received the other day. I am glad that someone pointed out that the Quincies are obviously of European origin, which suggests that my stating that Soul Society only has reign over Japan contradicts why they would fall into conflict. Don't worry, I already wrote last chapter with that in mind, and the relationship between the Quincies and Soul Reapers will be explained all in due time.**

 **If you couldn't already tell based on the chapter title, our Hellsing friends are going to finally meet a certain Irishman, and the lore and world building of this story will be further expanded when they do so.**

 **I'm glad everyone is enjoying this story so far.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

—

Despite the fact that he was hunting a different kind of monster, Ichigo couldn't help but be reminded of his days chasing Hollows.

Currently, the former Substitute was sitting atop a roof with Seras at his side, waiting for that undead bastard Alucard to finish toying with the vampire inside who they were supposed to be killing. Well, technically they were supposed to be killing two vampires, but due to the fact that Alucard had more authority in the field than them, he had forbidden them both from attempting to put down the escaping female monster until he gave them his permission.

Turning to his partner, Ichigo bumped her shoulder to get her attention. "So uh, how does it feel to be a vampire?"

Seras' face scrunched up momentarily, as if she were trying to find the right words to describe her newfound status as a Draculina. "It's…I don't really feel too different from when I was a human actually. Everything is a lot clearer though, and I can hear and sense things with a whole lot more clarity. I feel stronger too; like I have to be careful every time I touch a human…"

Looking him in the eye, the sweet blonde smiled toothily, showing off her newly sharpened canines. "It's not so bad, but I'm not too keen on having to drink human blood for the rest of my life." Ichigo grinned back, and it was only a few moments later when the two of them realized that they were silently staring at one another that they simultaneously blushed and looked away.

" _If you two are quite done acting like schoolchildren with a playground crush, then may I suggest taking out the remaining target?"_ Alucard's dry and sarcastic voice spoke directly into their minds, causing Seras to squeak in surprise and Ichigo to growl under his breath.

"S-Sorry master!" The blonde vampire stammered as she brought her sniper rifle to her eyes and looked down the barrel at the fleeing form of their quarry. "Um Sir? She's already five, no, six hundred meters away…I don't think that I-"

" _Imagine a third eye on you forehead Police Girl, and aim from there. If you shoot like a human then you're going to miss like a human. Aim for her heart; don't worry and you'll put the bullet right through her."_

Ichigo actually blinked in surprise at how patient Alucard's tone sounded, but then again he supposed that the elder vampire would have to be willing to devote a good amount of his time and effort into tutoring Seras into become a proper Draculina. If Integra's explanation was anything to go by, this was the first time in history that her servant had ever turned someone into a full-blooded vampire of his own free will; this, in turn, made the orange-head wonder just what it was that the undead bastard saw in the sweet little blonde sitting next to him.

Seras didn't seem to share their superior's confidence. "But Sir, it's so dark and I don't have a scope…"

The sound of footsteps echoing across the rooftop caught Ichigo's attention, and he turned slightly to see that Alucard had seemingly teleported to only a few feet behind them. "That sounds like a human complaint Police Girl; it's time for you to make that shot like a proper vampire!"

Even though he could no longer sense Spiritual Energy, the former Substitute still felt something subtly shift from within the blonde, and she once again brought the rifle up against her cheek and took aim.

A gunshot cracked through the silence of the night, and several hundred meters away the running form of the female vampire they had been tasked with killing exploded into a shower of blood and viscera, staining the road with a shade of dark crimson.

Seras seemed to come down from whatever change that had occurred within her mind, as she held the rifle away from her body and stared at it incredulously. "It's such a big gun…but I hardly felt any recoil at all; it's pitch black…but I could see more clearly than in daylight."

Alucard's smug grin stretched into a full-blown manic smile, displaying his razor sharp teeth for all to see. "Good shooting Police Girl."

Raising a shaky hand to her face, the Draculina looked down at the appendage with a good deal of uncertainty. "What on Earth am I becoming…?" She was snapped out of her reverie when a firm hand clasped her on the shoulder, and she turned in time to see Ichigo giving her a confident smile.

"Hey, I've met a lot of people in my life who weren't human, but they were still good individuals at heart. You may be a vampire now, but you're still _YOU._ And there's nothing in this world, living or dead, that can change who you are." Seras stared at him with wide eyes before a wide smile broke across her face, and she nodded happily at his words.

Unfortunately, the two of them were pulled out of the moment when Alucard snorted in amusement. "What he says is true Police Girl, but although you may still be yourself at heart, there are still a great many changes that will come with your new undead life, and I hope for your sake that you're ready for them."

Seras' eyes turned downcast once again, and Ichigo fixed Alucard with his trademarked scowl.

Ignoring the young man's glare, the elder vampire turned around and beckoned for them both to follow. "Come along; my Master will be eager to hear of our successful hunt."

—

The weather in Italy truly was wonderful this time of year.

Alexander Anderson smiled as he watched a group of young children play with one another in the courtyard, and returned the cheerful waves they sent his way. Ah, God was truly smiling down upon him to have blessed him with such a wonderful life, while also giving him the means to do His holy work here on Earth. Frowning slightly when he saw the beginnings of an argument begin to form between two of the orphanage's more rambunctious residents, the Paladin stepped forward to admonish them before any real fight could break out.

"Aye now, the two of you stop that; there should be no fighting between fiends now should there? How do you expect to be welcomed into the Lord's Home if you pick on one another?"

The young boys in question startled slightly when Anderson spoke up, but they quickly met his eyes and had the decency to look ashamed of their actions. "We're sorry Father, it won't happen again," One of them, Marcus, replied apologetically. The other boy, Eric, nodded along with his friend's statement.

Anderson's frown remained in place only for a bit longer before it was replaced with a kind smile. "Very good, now be on your way."

Both boys smiled in return before dashing away to undoubtedly involve themselves in some kind of childish mischief. Chuckling under his breath, the tall blond man moved to continue with his walk, but stopped upon seeing one of his comrades standing directly in his path. "To what do I owe this visit Father Renaldo? Has something happened?"

"I'm afraid so…there has been a series of bad news recently coming out of England. Most of it concerns multiple series of gruesome attacks at the hands of what we assume to be vampires."

Anderson smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "That's no real concern of ours though now is it? If a vampire wants to run amok and slaughter a few dozen Protestants, then who are we to stop them? They're all just a country of Heathens and monsters; I say let them kill one another until there's nothing left to taint God's good Earth."

Father Renaldo nodded in agreement, but the serious look on his face suggested that there was more to the matter than at first glance. "I agree, but the fact remains that the number and consistency of these attacks are far too numerous to be some kind of random coincidence…and the Hellsing Organization has been doing an admittedly admirable job of keeping everything under wraps so far, but we both know that the only sure way to put an end to this menace is if we get involved ourselves."

Anderson's smirk widened at the mention of the Iscariot Organization's most hated rivals. "The Hellsings are but mere kindergarteners compare to to the likes of us…the Catholics, the Vatican, and the Iscariots…we were fighting against the forces of darkness _centuries_ before that nest of heretics even existed. However, I am getting off topic; surely if there is an issue in England then the English can take care of it on their own?"

Renaldo let out a heavy sigh and looked up to meet his friend's eyes directly. "That is not the only reason I wish to for you to attend to this matter personally…we have received word that Hellsing has recently come in the possession of a fledgling vampire under Alucard's command."

When Anderson attempted to voice his thoughts, Renaldo held up a hand for him to remain silent. "There's more I'm afraid…apart from the newest abomination, their most recent human employee is a young man all the way from Japan. A young man by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki…"

Anderson's jaw fell open and his green eyes widened in utter disbelief. "Masaki's son?!"

Renaldo nodded sadly.

The blond Paladin's surprised expression quickly morphed into utter fury, and his fists clenched so tightly that he could actually feel the bones in his hands beginning to crack. Masaki Kurosaki had been one of the most pure-hearted young women he had ever met. And, despite his distaste in her choice to marry outside of the Catholic faith, he had been present himself at her wedding to Isshin. "You're telling me that Protestant Whore has sunk her claws into young Ichigo? That is something I simply cannot allow to continue…"

Seemingly pleased with Anderson's change in mood, Renaldo reached into his robes and withdrew a mission document. "In that case my friend, it appears as though you are in luck. Our intelligence suggests that Several Hellsing operatives, including the boy, have recently been dispatched to deal with a rogue vampire in a little town called Badrick, located in Northern Ireland."

"The nerve of them…sneaking around where they are unwanted, like they belong there. These fools are as shameless and presumptuous as ever," Anderson snarled spitefully.

"Fear not Anderson, for we shall remind them of there place in this world. They tread on Catholic lands, and as such this vampire is ours to destroy." Renaldo began walking past the enraged Paladin, but nonetheless continued to speak clearly. "That is why the Iscariot Organization wants you to deal with this situation before they do; do you think that will be a problem?"

Anderson's smirk returned full-force, only this time it was positively feral. "Of course not, but what if I should run into the agents of Hellsing?"

Renaldo returned his smile and turned once more to face him. "Just remember old friend, we are part of God's divine instrument on Earth…we do not retreat when we are challenged by heretics. I only ask that if you encounter the Kurosaki boy, you try your best to bring him back with you so that we may save his soul before it is too late."

"If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed at His Coming; God save you from your fate. Amen."

—

Upon their return from their previous mission, Walter had stopped Ichigo at the main doors to the manor in order to finally present him with his own personal weapon. It was a beautiful European longsword, silmilar to what medieval knights would use, except it was carved with several dozen inscriptions and runes that seemed to be in Latin.

As he had examined the blade, with Seras gushing at his side, Integra had appeared and informed him of it's name, _Manus Domini Dei,_ which translated to 'the Hand of God.' She had then gone on to explain that it was crafted from pure silver, which was apparently a major weakness to all lesser vampires, and that it had been blessed by a total of fourteen archbishops from across the world.

After cautioning him to keep the sword within it's sheath while in Seras' presence, Integra had allowed them a thirty minute rest period before briefing them on yet another vampire attack that had taken place somewhere in Ireland. Within the span of forty minutes, Alucard, Ichigo, and Seras were loaded onto a helicopter and shipped off to their next assignment.

As it was currently, the former Substitute and blonde fledgling vampire were sitting on the steps outside of a rather large Irish mansion, while Alucard was once again having his own demented brand of fun blasting the heads off of a horde of Ghouls. Integra had explained that Ghouls were the result that occurred when a vampire drank the blood of a deflowered human, be they male or female. They possessed no sense of right and wrong, and their mental faculties abandoned them completely save for their ability to follow the orders of whichever vampire had created them.

Interestingly enough, the trio of Hellsing agents had yet to even encounter said vampire, which was beginning to make Ichigo nervous.

" _All right you two, I have eliminated the good majority of the Ghouls within the home; why don't you make yourselves useful and clean up the rest of the stragglers."_ Alucard spoke within their minds once again, earning a grumble from the orange-head and a chipper 'Yes Sir' from Seras.

Using her vampiric strength, the blonde easily kicked the front door off of its hinges and trained her massive gun on the approaching group of zombie-like creatures, while Ichigo faced the opposite direction and held _Manus_ at the ready. "You ready for this?" he asked his partner, briefly glancing over his shoulder at the back of her head.

"Y-Yeah, it's not like they're real people anymore…they might as well be mindless puppets," Seras responded a bit uncertainly, and her nervousness could be visibly seen in the slight shaking of her shoulders. Her hesitation reminded Ichigo a bit of the first time he had learned that Hollows actually used to be ordinary human beings, but the fact that killing them essentially purified their souls made the whole experience much easier.

Sucking in a breath, the blue-eyed vampire aimed her weapon and repeatedly pulled the trigger, and each time a bullet left her barrel a Ghoul's head splattered everywhere like a watermelon, adding to the gore that already painted the house's walls and floor. As she she continued to fire off shots into the horde, Ichigo danced effortlessly through his own group of opponents and sliced them to pieces without breaking so much as a sweat.

Whenever his blade even scratched one of the monsters' skin, the point of contact erupted into an inferno of blue flame, burning the creatures to death and preventing them from rising back up. If he was a betting man, Ichigo was willing to assume that this was due to all of the holy enchantments fused into the sword, and it reminded him even more of the way Hollows would react to his Zanpakuto.

Swinging _Manus_ in a downward arc, he bifurcated four of the Goals in one stroke, and turned just in time to deflect a bullet one of them had fired in Seras' direction. However, before he could even make a move towards killing the monster, it's head exploded in a shower of blood and rotten brain matter. Looking at his partner, he was surprised to see her giving him a cheeky smirk. "I can handle myself just fine for a lady, thank you very much."

He grinned in return, and the two teenagers ran deeper into the mansion in search of any more targets that had managed to avoid their initial onslaught. The only thing that concerned Ichigo slightly was the fact that when they had made eye contact, Seras' normally blue eyes were a deep shade of blood red. The sound of additional footsteps walking down the hallway grabbed his attention, but his blonde partner seemed too captivated with killing the Ghouls to notice.

Alucard's grin was not something that made you feel safe, but the fact that he was so powerful gave Ichigo enough peace-of-mind to feel confident enough that they would complete their mission easily enough. "When you shoot them Police Girl, make sure to aim for the heart or the head. Just remember, these people did not become undead Ghouls by choice; there's no way to cure them once they've been changed, save for a blessed bullet to put them out of their misery."

Seras didn't even seem to register her Master's words as she continued to cut a path of blood and sinew through the remaining creatures, while Ichigo watched on in growing concern. "That's not Seras…she's enjoying this too much."

Alucard came to a stop directly beside the younger human, and his crimson eyes turned to regard the sword-wielder in apparent praise. "Very astute of you to notice Ghost Boy; what you see occurring before you is what happens when a fledgling vampire is first exposed to large amounts of blood without properly satisfying their thirst. Because the Police Girl has yet to become a fully-fledged Nosferatu, her control over her bloodlust is shaky at best, and although this will only occur when she is near a significant blood source, during her frenzy she will not be able to determine who is friend or foe."

Ichigo nodded in understanding, before frowning as the elder vampire's words caught up with him. "Wait, Ghost Boy?"

Alucard's deep chuckle was the only response he received, and both human and vampire turned as one to witness Seras finishing off the last of the Ghouls with nothing but her bare hands, her entire body painted red in the blood of her victims. The young woman was panting raggedly, and as she held a bloodied hand up to her face Ichigo noticed that there was a small blush decorating her cheeks.

"Is she…"

"Aroused? Indeed she is." Alucard smirked at Ichigo's gob-smacked expression and decided to fill the poor boy in on another key aspect of vampiric nature. "Female Nosferatu are sexually aroused by blood, but usually it is only by the blood of their chosen mate. However, as I said before, the Police Girl is unfamiliar with how to control her new instincts and mannerisms, and as such she experiencing what is effectively a sensory overload of both hunger and arousal."

Well, that was certainly a bit disturbing…but at least Seras would be able to control herself in time right?

Completely unaware of the two males discussing her behavior, the blonde Draculina continued to raise her hand to her mouth while her tongue simultaneously extended to lick up the crimson liquid staining her fingertips. However, before she could so much as get a single taste, a silver bayonet erupted through her throat, causing her to let out a strangled gurgle of shock.

Ichigo and Alucard's own eyes widened as at least ten more of the weapons pierced the fledgling vampire all throughout her body, and she let out one final gasp before her eyes shifted back to their natural blue color and she collapsed to the wooden floor in a growing puddle of blood.

"Seras!" Ichigo moved so quickly that anyone who didn't know better might have believed that he'd used Shunpo. Falling to his knees next to his fallen comrade, the orange-head was about to attempt dislodging one of the bayonets before noticing steam rising from every wound they had inflicted on the fledgling's body. "Blessed weapons…"

As Ichigo tended to his protégé, Alucard snarled and withdrew his own weapons as a flurry of golden text pages fluttered into the hallway and attached themselves to the walls, erecting a holy barrier around their current location. Curling his lip in frustration, the crimson-eyed vampire knew that getting through such a barrier himself wouldn't be much of an issue, but in her wounded condition the Police Girl wasn't going anywhere, let alone with the Ghost Boy's help.

The sound of twinkling bells broke his thoughts, and both Ichigo and Alucard looked up as the creaking of floorboards signaled the approach of someone new entirely.

"We are the servants of God in Heaven, and the messengers of His justice and divine wrath here on Earth. We are called upon to cleanse his Kingdom, bringing ash from the flesh of thine enemies; praise be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."

An enormous man, easily the same height as Kenpachi, slowly walked down the hallway with the moonlight shining through a broken window behind him. A bloodied bayonet was grasped in each of his hands, which he brought up to his face to form in the shape of a cross, sending sparks flying when the two blades scratched against one another. "Beautiful moon tonight, don't you think?"

Alucard remained silent, although another toothy grin was stretched across his face, but Ichigo audibly snarled at the man, but his attention was quickly drawn back to the blonde in his arms when Seras groaned in agony.

The tall newcomer chuckled as if he had just been told a particularly funny joke. "Ah, your voice sounds so very lovely when you're whimpering in agony young lady; don't worry though, you're not dying yet…I haven't pierced your heart. It's been quite some time since I've had a good hunt, so I plan on enjoying this as much as I can."

Alucard spoke up in his deep, rumpling voice. "Vatican Special Forces Division Thirteen…the Iscariot Organization."

The bayonet-wielder's sadistic grin stretched to such epic proportions that Ichigo thought it was going to split his face in half. "Right you are, you pathetic Hellsing dogs…and you must be Alucard; the housebroken vampire, the monster who hunts his own kind…the famous Hellsing family pet." As he spoke, the tall man began to walk forward slowly, with Alucard doing the same only a second later.

"What have you done with the vampire we were hunting?" The red-clad monster asked, tone laced with amusement.

"He's dead of course; not much fun really, I didn't even have time to enjoy it."

Both men continued to walk towards one another silently, with the only audible noise in the hallway being the creaking of the floorboards under their feet and the pained whimpers from Seras. This continued until they both came to a stop once they were standing directly next to one another, at which point the Paladin continued speaking. "It seems as though you and the girl are the only ones left…

"Oh really?"

Alucard and the blond man remained motionless for several agonizingly long seconds before simultaneously whipping around and drawing their weapons; the vampire with his guns and the human with his bayonets. Unfortunately for the Nosferatu, the green-eyed man had a surprising amount of speed, as he deflected the barrels of Alucard's weapons to the side and lunged forward to pierce the vampire through the throat with both of his blades.

Luckily, this did absolutely nothing to slow the red-eyed monster down, and he simply aimed his gun once again and fired a bullet directly into his opponent's forehead, sending the human flying back from the force, where he fell to the floor and remained still.

Rising to his full height, Alucard painlessly reached up and pulled both blades from his flesh, sending a spray of blood cascading to the floor. "You attacked a vampire head on in the middle of the night…you didn't even _TRY_ to catch me by surprise. You're a brave man father, but you're also a fool."

Ichigo looked on in awe, but when Seras attempted to sit up and call out to her Master, he held her back firmly even though she was undoubtedly much stronger than he was.

Alucard turned towards his younger comrades and moved to approach them. "Keep her still Ghost Boy, she's been stabbed by blessed blades. Now just-"

The elder vampire's sentence cut off when both he and Ichigo noticed the seemingly fallen form of the Exorcist easily rise to his feet while letting out a manic laugh. However, the Nosferatu was too slow in his reaction time to prevent the human from driving two silver bayonets through his shoulder blades, which exited through his chest. Alucard hacked up a gob of blood, and attempted to turn an face his attacker. "What?!"

The Paladin continued to cackle like a madman before pulling his bayonets out of the vampire's flesh and kicking him in the middle of the back, sending him surging forward. Fortunately, Alucard managed to catch himself in time to spin around and fire off a series of bullets directly into the priest's upper torso. Each shot hit it's mark, but even so the crazed Exorcist was only slowed down for a few seconds, and he steadily rose to his feet once more before charging at the vampire with a roar.

Alucard easily dodged the attempted swipes from the holy bayonets, and continued to fire at least a dozen more bullets into his opponent's flesh. Ichigo continued to watch in shock as the priest took every single shot without showing any signs of lasting harm. What the hell?! He knew several humans who were capable of supernatural feats of strength and power, but even they couldn't shrug off a bullet to the face like it was no more than a mosquito bite!

As Alucard leapt backwards further down the hallway, the blond Exorcist reached into his cloak and withdrew a bayonet between each finger before sending them flying after the vampire, the force of which shattered every window in the hall.

Firing off several more shots, Alucard was able to deflect a good number of the blades, but when the priest surged forward once again and knocked his gun to the side, the vampire was helpless as two silver bayonets pierced his hands and stuck them into the wall behind him.

Both Ichigo and Seras looked on with wide eyes as the Paladin withdrew even more of the bayonets from within his sleeves, but the orange-head was more focused on the fact that all of the man's visible wounds appeared to be closing themselves up and forcing the bullets out, making them drop to the floor. Apparently, Alucard noticed this as well. "You're a regenerator…"

"Correct! A living weapon engineered by the human race to defeat vile monsters such as yourself." The priest then hurled the holy weapons forward with all of his strength, impaling them though Alucard's chest with enough force for them to emerge from his back. Seras reached forward weakly, and Ichigo attempted to rise to his feet to intervene, but before either of them could even blink their comrade's decapitated head was flying through the air.

Alexander Anderson let out a victorious laugh and raised his head skyward. "Amen! That's it?! This was Hellsing's ultimate weapon? What a disappointment! He's a joke is what he really is!"

An enraged yell caught enough of Anderson's attention to bring him out of his gloating, and he turned around just in time to block a downward slash from Ichigo's _Manus._ A flash of sparks erupted through the air as the holy blades met, before the orange-head pushed off and landed several feet away. "You bastard! You're gonna pay for that!"

The Paladin's eyes softened and his expression calmed down as his eyes landed on the former Substitute. "Ah, you must be young Ichigo…do not fear young lad, for I am here to save you from these heathens who you find yourself with."

Brushing off the older man's words as simple manic ravings, Ichigo turned slightly to glance at Seras. "You have to get out of here and contact Integra! I'll hold him off for as long as I can!"

The blonde Draculina had certainly regained some of her color, but she looked utterly broken at Ichigo's suggestion. "B-But he killed Master, and you're just a human!" Struggling to her feet, Seras winced as the blessed bayonets in her flesh dug even deeper into her body, but she pushed through the pain nonetheless. "I can't just-"

"Just go! I'll be fine!" The brown-eyed young man attempted to reassure his parter with a slightly strained smile. Oh, knew very well that without his Soul Reaper powers, Anderson was going to absolutely destroy him in any kind of fight, but if he could die protecting one of his friends, then he supposed that would be a pretty good way to go.

Seras looked as if she might cry, but even so she nodded in acceptance and turned to limp off down the dark hallway.

"I don't think so lass!" Anderson grinned, moving to cut the fledgling vampire down, but his attack was blocked once again by Ichigo. "Why do you wish to protect that thing boy? She may seem like little more than an innocent girl, but in truth she is a monster the likes of which could tear this country asunder."

"She's not the monster here…" the younger man growled in return, sinking into a fighting stance.

Sighing, the priest lowered his bayonets and gave the orange-head a sympathetic look. "Aye…so compassionate towards those who don't even deserve it; you are so much like your mother that it's almost hard to believe."

 _Manus_ nearly fell from his hands as Ichigo stared at Anderson in shock. "You knew my…?"

"Did I know Masaki? Aye I did; I met her when she was most likely only a few years younger than you. Such a kind an caring soul she was…always willing to go out of her way to care for the less fortunate around her. It always did me proud to see her living by God's Word so faithfully." The green-eyed Exorcist actually seemed to sag in a moment of sadness, but he quickly regained himself and stared down at Ichigo with hard eyes. "That is why I have sworn to both myself, as well as your mother's spirit, that I will bring you away from the monsters and heathens you have chosen to associate with. Come along lad, there is still time to save your soul." Anderson's offer was accompanied by an outstretched hand, which the former Substitute stared at uncertainly.

While the Paladin had certainly seemed truthful in saying that he knew his mother, Ichigo wasn't about to abandon Seras and the rest of his new comrades just for a little peace of mind. A feeling passed through his mind that was oh so familiar. Raising his sword, Ichigo brought it above his head before swinging it downward in a similar fashion to when he used the Getsuga Tensho.

Since _Manus_ obviously wasn't a Zanpakuto, the familiar blue energy he had become accustomed to did not appear; however, in it's place was an almost blinding crescent of white holy energy that ripped across the hallway towards Anderson, who looked on with widened eyes.

"What in God's name?!"

Leaping out of the path of the blast, the deranged priest moved forward in an attempt to forcibly apprehend Ichigo. Fortunately, his movement halted when several gunshots echoed through the air and the bayonets in his hands shattered into pieces.

"Step away from my employee." Integra Hellsing's unmistakably dignified voice cut through the air like a steel blade, and if she was at all surprised by the attack Ichigo had just produced then she didn't show it in the slightest. Two bodyguards flanked her on either side, and Seras stood behind them clutching Alucard's head to her chest. Anderson grunted in annoyance and rose back up to his full height.

"So the Protestant Whore has finally decided to make an appearance…"

Integra didn't react to the priest's taunt, and instead continued speaking as if she hadn't just been insulted. "Your actions are in direct violation of the agreement between the Hellsing Organization and the Iscariot Section Thirteen Division. We have things under control here, so you may immediately withdraw from you current mission. Neither my Organization, nor your own, can afford this sort of battle; I don't care who you think you are, but this act of aggression ends now."

"Withdraw? Is that an order?" Anderson smirked in amusement, sliding a bayonet out from each of his sleeves. "You expect the Iscariot Organization, God's own chosen instruments of judgement, to just withdraw on your command? Did you really assume that I'd run away screaming from a whore such as yourself?"

In a flash of motion, the Paladin surged forward towards Integra, cutting her two bodyguards to pieces in the process, before his blades were finally halted just in time when the Hellsing leader drew her own Saber.

"An artificially bio-engineered regenerator agent…and they've upgraded your healing factor." Integra sneered as she locked eyes with her would-be assassin, cold blue boring into furious green. "You're a thing, not even a real human anymore."

"Perhaps, but you're nothing but weak. You're worthless; and as for that beloved pet vampire you love to parade around with so much…you just missed his decapitation." Anderson retorted with an insane smile plastered across his face.

Ichigo attempted to walk forward and help his boss, but apparently whatever attack he had used earlier used up quite a bit of his energy, and he collapsed to his knees with Seras quickly running to his side. The fact that she was still cradling Alucard's disembodied head didn't freak him out as much as it probably should have. The smug tone in Integra's next statement was enough to get his attention though.

"You cut his head off? Is that all? If that's the case then things definitely aren't looking good for you Father Anderson; if I were you I'd run off with my tail between my legs while you still have the chance."

Anderson's grin didn't diminish in the slightest as he stared down at the blonde woman confidently. "Have you gone insane? I'm about to paint the walls with the two of you, and then I'll be returning to the Vatican with young Ichigo."

"Then you'd better make it quick; that vampire you decapitated will be coming back to life any second now."

The Paladin's eyes widened and he subtly glanced in the direction of Alucard's corpse. "He'll what…?"

Everyone in the hallway turned towards the windows as the light from the moon was almost completely obscured by an utterly enormous swarm of bats, and a foreboding red glow began to emanate from the moon itself. All of a sudden, all of the windows exploded inwards as the flock of flying mammals burst into the house, converging around Alucard's body and filling almost every available amount of space in the hall.

Through it all, Integra simply continued to smirk. "Cut off his head…pierced his heart…he is nothing like any vampire you have ever known; your tricks won't kill him. You may be the fruit of the finest anti-vampire technology, but a hundred years of the Hellsing family's occult knowledge produced _THIS_ achievement. Our crowned glory, the vampire Alucard!"

As she spoke, the bats began to merge together into a vaguely humanoid shape, before quickly becoming more and more recognizable as the thought to be deceased vampire. Once his appearance had finally returned to normal, Alucard let out a cackling laugh, and both Seras and even Ichigo sighed in relief.

Anderson overcame enough of his shock to charge forward at the recently resurrected monstrosity, with Alucard doing the same. A shower of blood erupted from the vampire's torso, and both of his arms fell to the floor. But before the Exorcist could even grin in victory, a new pair of arms quickly grew back out of the vampire's empty shoulder sockets.

The leader of the Hellsing family watched on with a smile still on her face. "I think you're finally beginning to understand; what will you do now Anderson?"

The blond man in question scoffed as he pulled out a bible, and a flurry of golden pages began to surround him. "I'll leave, but just know that I'll be back to kill these two monsters once and for all, as well as to save young Ichigo's soul." With that, he disappeared from view completely, and soon the golden pages faded from existence.

From his place on the floor, Ichigo groaned, causing a worried Seras to fret over whether or not he was injured. He was completely fine physically, but now that his adrenaline had left him his very human body was beginning to feel the effects of such a strenuous day.

Integra raised an eyebrow in his direction and walked over, kicking him gently in the shin, much to Seras' protest. "Stop acting like such a child Ichigo, you'll be fine once you eat something and get some rest." She then turned to Alucard. "And how are you feeling?"

The vampire simply chuckled and rolled his shoulders. "Well, I have to admit that it's definitely been quite some time since I've had my head cut off, but I'll manage well enough."

Nodding, the Hellsing matriarch turned towards the exit, followed by her vampire servant as well as Seras, who was slightly supporting Ichigo's weight.

"Well done everyone; mission success."

—

 **And there we have it.**

 **Ichigo and Seras have continued to bond, we have been introduced to Anderson, and Ichigo discovers that the psychotic priest used to know Masaki.**

 **Despite the fact that I'm posting this only a day after last chapter, I want to make it clear that such consistent updates will not be a regular thing. The only reason I was able to do so this time was because I had three days off in a row from work.**

 **That aside, let's see how many votes each girl in the pairing poll has shall we? (This includes PM requests)**

 **Seras Victoria: 7 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz: 5 votes (I'm genuinely surprised)**

 **Integra Hellsing:** **4 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 4 votes**

 **Raynare: 4 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 3 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 2 vote**

 **Tiamat: 1 vote**

 **Heinkel Wolfe: 1 vote**

 **Rip van Winkle: 1 vote**

 **Rias Gregory: 0 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 0 votes**

 **The voting poll is still most definitely open, and as more characters are introduced to this story there might be more girls added to the possibilities.**

 **Please let me know what you think, and reviews are always welcome.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Just Another Day

* * *

 **Hello everyone, and welcome back to the latest chapter of "Bloodstained Souls!"**

 **To begin with, I would like to address at least two reviews that I received concerning last chapter. One review suggested that I should have had Ichigo fight off Anderson in order to appear as some kind of knight-in-shining armor for Integra, at least until Alucard could have fully regenerated. Firstly, Integra isn't the kind of woman who needs a man to be her hero; she's a certified badass all on her own. Secondly, please don't forget that at this point in the story, Ichigo is still very much an ordinary human, albeit one with some considerable combat experience. That being said, I realize that Anderson is also a human, but he has had enough training and bodily modifications to be able to hold his own against the likes of Alucard, and as such he would utterly destroy an ordinary Ichigo in any kind of physical confrontation.**

 **I realize that your comment was most likely all in good humor, but it still motivated me to explain why I wrote that scene the way I did. So thank you for that!**

 **The other review I wanted to discuss was actually a piece of encouragement directed towards me as a writer. This review suggested that I shouldn't be afraid to deviate from the original plot of the** _ **Hellsing**_ **storyline, and I genuinely thank the individual who wrote it for offering your support.**

 **Let me be clear: The first few chapters will be extremely similar to the beginning of** _ **Hellsing Ultimate,**_ **but that is only because I am still technically introducing Ichigo to the expanded supernatural world. Don't worry, there will be some MAJOR changes and deviations to the story later on, and that doesn't even include the inclusion of any future** _ **High School DxD**_ **characters.**

 **Well then, with that out of the way, let's discuss the pairing shall we?**

 **Seras is still by far the most requested girl to end up with Ichigo, and although they have considerably fewer votes, Integra and Zorin are in second and third place respectively. As far as the DxD girls in the pairing poll are concerned, they will not appear in the story itself in any great detail for quite some time, but I still included them in the voting poll to see whom the fan-favorites are. Just to assure everyone, although romance will be a major aspect of this story, it will still take a backseat to the action and plot development. That being said, relationships will still most definitely develop between characters, but it won't be the cliche "boy and girl meet and immediately fall in love" trope that so many stories seem to follow.**

 **As I said last chapter, the nature of the Quincies in this story will be explained eventually, but not for quite some time. Don't forget that this story takes place after Ichigo's defeat of Aizen and the subsequent loss of his powers, so as far as our favorite Strawberry is aware, Uryu and Ryuken are the only known Quincies. This means that this story replaces the events of the** _ **Xcution Arc**_ **as far as the** _ **Bleach**_ **timeline is concerned, yet occurs after Ichigo's employment under Ikumi Unagiya.**

 **Alrighty then, sorry for the slightly long Author's Note, now let's get on with the story!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

If he really thought about it, Ichigo could probably count the number of people who made him genuinely nervous on one hand.

Yoruichi Shihouin was one of those people, but that was only because her teasing nature could raise _ANY_ man's blood pressure. It still baffled him to this day how uncaring the Flash Goddess had been about allowing him to see her in all of her naked glory.

Ikumi Unagiya was another such individual, and Ichigo still sometimes had nightmares about walking down the street before being spontaneously kidnapped and dragged into his former employer's dreaded van. Even so, Ikumi was a good woman at heart, and he kind of felt like she was the big sister he'd never had.

Byakuya Kuchiki made him nervous simply due to the fact that he could never get a precise read on the Soul Reaper Captain's mood; to be completely honest Ichigo doubted he'd ever seen the man's expression shift beyond that of impassive carelessness.

Kenpachi Zaraki was just plain fucking crazy.

And finally, Restu Unohana absolutely terrified him because even though she acted kind and maternal on the outside, he had always been able to sense a malicious and foreboding power dwelling just beneath her generous exterior.

However, now that he was sitting across from Integra Hellsing at the latter's large desk, Ichigo could now confidently add her to that list. After returning from Ireland, the Hellsing matriarch had all but ordered him to go straight to bed in order to recuperate from his exhausting encounter with Anderson. The next morning following breakfast, she had then called him into her office, where she was currently staring at him silently with narrowed eyes.

A bead of sweat trickled down the former Substitute's temple as he attempted to meet his employer's eyes, but every time he glanced into her icy blue gaze Ichigo couldn't help but look off to the side.

Letting out a sigh, Integra folded her hands in front of her face and rested her chin on her interlocked fingers. "Do you have any inclination as to why I've called you in here Ichigo?"

"Um…no?"

"I suppose you wouldn't, but the reason I asked to speak with you concerns the attack I witnessed you use against Alexander Anderson in Badrick. Your weapon was never designed with such a ranged attack in mind, so you can understand my curiosity as to how you produced it." The blonde woman explained, and although her tone didn't sound accusatory in the slightest, Ichigo could still detect an undertone of uncertainty.

Sighing, the orange-head ran a hand through his hair and attempted to come up with a reasonable explanation. "I used to be able to use an attack like that back when I had my Soul Reaper powers, but I have no idea if this was anything like that…"

Integra nodded and made to respond, but was interrupted when the space in the wall behind her distorted and morphed into the familiar shape of Alucard. Chuckling, the elder vampire walked forward until coming to a stop next to his Master's chair. "The answer to your confusion is simple Ghost Boy; what you conjured against the Judas Priest was simply a final echo of you former abilities, and it manifested into a form with which you were familiar. That is why the wave of energy you produced seemed so similar to your former attack."

Ichigo frowned. "You're saying that was the final pieces of my Spirit Energy?"

Alucard grinned and nodded in affirmative. "Correct. I doubt you'll ever be able to produce such an attack again; at least while you remain an ordinary human."

That actually made sense. Ichigo had been all but certain that he'd used up every bit of his Spiritual Energy during his final battle with Aizen, but Alucard probably knew more about this kind of thing than he did.

Integra's voice brought him back to the matter at hand.

"Well then, now that we have a definitive answer for why such an event occurred, you are free to leave Ichigo," The blonde woman dismissed him, and the orange-head nodded politely before rising from his seat and exiting the room. Once they were alone, Integra turned to Alucard and frowned disapprovingly. "You were not being entirely truthful, were you?"

The red-clad vampire chuckled deeply. "Nothing ever escapes your notice does it my Master? But to answer your inquiry, no, I did not reveal the entire truth to the Ghost Boy. From the moment I first felt his presence, it felt like I was looking directly at a living sponge; he was slowly but surely absorbing all of the excess Spiritual Energy in the air, including the residual energy that I myself give off."

Integra's eyes widened in shock. "Are you saying that he is regaining his powers?"

"No, at least not for quite some time. In fact, he may never regain his former abilities again, but at the very least he will eventually become Spiritually Aware once more. This will enable him to see his former comrades from this Soul Society place, as well as the creatures known as Hollows, but he will be unable to return to his exploits of battle against them."

Integra hummed in thought as she reached into her desk drawer and withdrew a cigar, before lighting it up and taking a deep inhale. "This is most definitely an interesting turn of events…we will simply have to keep a close eye on the dear boy for the time being."

* * *

Alexander Anderson grimaced as he flipped though yet another book of Holy Texts.

After his battle with Alucard and subsequent retreat, the Paladin had completely immersed himself within the documents housed in the Vatican Library in an effort to discover any possible means to kill the undead monstrosity. Unfortunately, he was not having a good deal of luck, as the only instructions he could find were the usual methods one would use when eliminating a vampire, consisting of either cutting off it's head or piercing it's heart.

Seeing as how neither of those tactics had proven effective against the Hellsing whore's pet in the slightest, Anderson was understandably growing increasingly frustrated.

"Father Anderson, you need to rest…"

Looking up from his research, the blond priest was greeted by the sight of one of his two apprentices. "Ah Heinkel, I appreciate your concern, but I cannot truly rest until I have found the answers I am looking for."

Heinkel Wolfe frowned and folded her arms across her chest. "You won't be able to concentrate when your mind is so obviously distracted Father."

Anderson chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "Aye, I suppose you are right…seeing Masaki's boy with my own eyes has brought up quite a few old memories that I thought I'd forgotten. I know the two of you were quite close when you were a child…are you sure I'm the one who you should be concerned about?"

Heinkel faltered briefly before quickly regaining her composure. "I loved Masaki like an older sister, and that makes Ichigo my family in all but blood. I will do whatever it takes to save him from those heathens in Hellsing. You don't need to worry about me though, my goal is clear and my path is sure."

The green-eyed man nodded approvingly and closed the text in front of him before rising to his feet. "As long as you continue to fight for the sake of our Lord in Heaven, I will not condemn you for any actions you may take to sway young Ichigo to the side of righteousness. We cannot allow Masaki's legacy to be pulled along though the dirt, and as long as her son remains in association with the likes of Hellsing, we will make it our personal duty to ensure that he is given a chance at redemption."

"I am glad that you agree Father Anderson, but…I must confess to wanting to meet him in a more passive setting before any measure of force is used," Heinkel muttered softly.

Anderson chuckled and placed a reassuring hand on his protégé's shoulder. "There is nothing wrong with that lass; it is as you said before, you view Ichigo as family. I will attempt to ensure that you get your chance to speak with him privately, but I cannot promise that such a meeting can occur before I am forced to apprehend him against his will. I hope you can understand why."

The younger blonde sighed, but nodded nonetheless. "I understand Father."

Anderson smiled at her acceptance and patted her shoulder reassuringly once more before going on about his day, leaving Heinkel alone with her thoughts.

"I swear on your mother's name, I will save you _jüngerer Bruder…_ and that's a promise."

* * *

"I must say Sir Integra, this situation had better be of the utmost importance if you have the gall to convene a Round Table Conference."

Integra hid her frustration very well, and the only outward sign of her growing annoyance was the slight twitching of her eyebrow. "That is correct Sir Reginald; the increase in vampire attacks over the past few months have been a subject of major investigation on the Hellsing Organization's behalf, and at first we believed them to be nothing more than a freak coincidence. Now, however, we have reason to believe that there is more to it than we originally suspected…"

Reaching into her pocket, the Hellsing Matriarch grasped a tiny microchip between her fingers and held it up for the collection of individuals at the Round Table to see.

"And just what is that supposed to be my dear? Are you telling me that such a tiny thing is actually of great significance to our current predicament?" Sir Penwood, one of Integra's oldest friends, questioned disbelievingly.

"After in-depth analysis of this device, we have concluded that it is some kind of a transmitter, but in truth it is likely much more. With every new vampire we have encountered, we have found one of these chips embedded in each of their necks. These chips seem to relay information regarding the creatures' location, actions, and physical condition to an unknown source," the blonde explained.

The rest of the men at the table all gasped in collective shock at revelation.

"Someone has been creating these vampires; controlling them in a movement towards some unknown purpose…and that's not all, it gets much worse I assure you. Traditionally, Ghouls come from the corpses of deflowered men and women once they've been drained of blood by a vampire; but not anymore. During these last few incidents, not one new vampire has been created, even young boys and girls who were clearly virgins have become Ghouls instead of vampires. Also, the typical Ghouls we have encountered in the past did not survive the destruction of their vampiric creators, but during the Badrick incident Vatican Agent Anderson claimed to have destroyed the vampire well before my team arrived on the scene."

Integra paused to take another drag from her cigar before finishing with her lengthy report. "The vampire had been long-since dispatched, and yet the Ghouls remained…"

"What does this all mean Sir Integra?" Sir Reginald asked cautiously. The rest of the men at the table looked similarly distraught, but Integra could hardly blame them.

"As I said before, someone has been controlling these vampires, and they've been displaying a remarkable amount of skill…gentlemen, I fear that the enemy is just like us."

* * *

"I don't see why I have to do this," Ichigo scowled under his breath as he stared down at the gun in his hands in contempt.

After his discussion with Integra had ended, the orange-head had been informed by Walter that as a member of the Hellsing staff, he was at least expected to know how to operate a basic handgun. When it was revealed that Ichigo had absolutely no previous knowledge on the use and care of any kind of firearm, Seras had all but teleported into the room and enthusiastically volunteered to teach him the basics.

As such, the fledgling vampire and former Substitute were currently standing at one end of Hellsing Manor's underground firing range.

"Oh it's not that hard Ichigo! I remember being nervous about using a gun during my first few weeks at the Police Academy, but as long as you do everything you're supposed to and be careful when handling any kind of weapon, you should be just fine!" Seras told him confidently, with a wide smile across her face.

Ichigo couldn't help but grin at how drastically his friend's attitude had changed when she was introduced to a subject she was actually familiar with. When talking about being a vampire, Seras was withdrawn and timid, but now she was confident and cheerful. Ichigo was glad she felt so happy with teaching him something she was good at, and simply because of that he was willing to give learning how to use a handgun his all.

"Alright, what do I have to do?" He questioned with a smile.

Seras positively glowed at his acceptance.

"The first thing you need to do is pick up the magazine and insert it into the designated slot," she instructed, doing so with her own weapon. "After that, you can turn the safety off and aim it at your assigned target."

Pointing her M1911 Pistol at the human-shaped target at the very end of the firing range, the blonde vampire squeezed off a series of shots in rapid succession. After the last bullet left the barrel, Seras lowered her weapon and flipped the safety back on for good measure. "Now you try."

Ichigo chuckled a bit apprehensively as he followed his partner's instructions and aimed his own M1911 at another target. Pulling the trigger, the orange-head continued to fire until he too was out of bullets. "How was that?"

"Well…you managed to hit the target three times. Don't worry though, the good thing about practice is that it will only make you better with time," the blonde assured him confidently, until a slightly hesitant look morphed onto her features. "H-Hey um…Ichigo? Since I'm teaching you how to use a gun, I was wondering if…maybe…well you know…"

The orange-head raised an eyebrow. "What is it? You don't have to be nervous about asking me anything Seras, we're friends."

The blue-eyed girl's smile gained back some of its confidence. "Well…I was wondering if maybe you would teach me how to use a sword."

Ichigo blinked in surprise before smiling. "Of course, I'd be happy to show you how."

Seras' own smile widened even more, and a small blush dusted across her cheeks.

The two continued to stand in comfortable silence for a few more moments until a cough interrupted the tender moment, and both teenagers turned to see a smugly smiling Walter standing in the doorway. "I apologize if I am interrupting anything, but Sir Integra has requested that I show you an additional adjustment we have made to your room Miss Victoria. You are more than welcome to join us Master Ichigo, but I must admit to finding it rather scandalous for an unmarried young man to be invited into a lady's residence."

The butler's teasing tone made it clear that he was simply having fun at their expense, but even so Seras' mild blush spread to the entirety of her face, and even Ichigo's cheeks gained a small hint of color. Walter grinned as the young vampire sputtered in an attempt to come up with a coherent response, while the former Substitute simply growled under his breath.

"Oh you youngsters are so easy to fluster, now if you would please follow me." Walter chuckled lightly as he led the way to Seras' room, more than well aware of the embarrassed glances the fledgling was sneaking at her partner. Ichigo was much better at hiding his emotions, but even so the retainer could feel the glare the younger man was directing at the back of his head.

Regardless, the elderly butler continued to lead his charges through the multitude of hallways in the basement, before finally coming to a stop directly outside of Seras' bedroom. "I do hope you are satisfied with everything Miss Victoria," Walter smirked before opening the door.

The room itself was actually quite barren, and the only thing of any real importance Ichigo could see was a medium-sized wooden coffin. Considering the fact that Seras was a vampire, it made sense to him that she'd have to sleep in a coffin, but apparently the blonde in question didn't share his sentiments.

"Walter, what the hell is that thing?!" The blonde Draculina shouted, pointing an accusatory finger at the object in the center of the room.

Walter looked down at the coffin before turning back to Seras, with an eyebrow raised in amusement. "That would be a coffin Miss Victoria."

"I can see that! But why is there a coffin in my bedroom?!"

"Well, since you still refuse to drink blood, your strength will soon begin to fade. The only way to fully prevent such a tragedy from occurring is if you continuously sleep in a coffin filled with soil from your place of birth," the butler replied patiently. "Sir Integra would have come to inform you of all of this herself, but she is currently occupied in a Round Table meeting upstairs. If it makes you feel any better though, this order was confirmed by Alucard as well."

Seras calmed down remarkably at the inclusion of her Master's name, but the sound of footsteps echoing down the hallway quickly drew everyone's attention to the doorway, where the elder vampire himself was standing with his usual grin stretched across his face. "You're an idiot Police Girl."

The blonde Draculina stumbled back as if she'd been slapped across the face, and Ichigo growled and moved to confront Alucard, but a subtle shake of the head from Walter cautioned him to reconsider.

Alucard either didn't notice the orange-head's spike of aggression or simply elected to ignore it, and he continued with his tirade. "You chose the night, and once you've turned your back on the light of day all the sunlight should ever mean to you is smoldering pain and a slow death."

An awkward silence filled the room, and although Ichigo wanted to comfort his friend, he had long-since become aware that doing so in either Alucard or Walter's presence would result in an endless cycle of teasing. It was all good-natured from Walter, but Alucard's taunts could be downright cruel.

Coughing to break the tension, the butler moved over to Seras' nightstand, where a long box was sitting on the wooden surface. "Good evening Alucard, I have something very special I'd like to show you. Since Master Ichigo has already been gifted with his own customized weapon, I didn't want you to think that I was playing favorites."

The elder vampire smirked and walked across the room until he was standing directly next to the elderly retainer, at which point he reached out to open the box. Inside, was a custom-built handgun that obviously had more of a story to it than at first glance. Alucard's smirk widened as his eyes roved over the weapon. "Oh, what is this?"

"The _Jackal_ , a custom thirty-nine centimeter anti-freak combat pistol; it fires custom-made rounds far more powerful than the _454 Cassull_ rounds you're used to. Thirty-nine centimeters long, sixteen kilograms in weight, and six rounds per magazine. The _Jackal_ has more firepower than any human could ever be expected to handle." Walter explained with a grin of his own.

Alucard turned the pistol over in his hands appreciatively. "And the rounds?"

"Thirteen millimeter explosive shells, of course."

"What about the casings?"

"Pure Macedonian Silver."

"And what of the tips Walter? Explosive or mercury?" The vampire's tone actually sounded excited.

"Mercury tips, and they've already been blessed."

Alucard took another long look at the weapon before turning towards the butler. "It's absolute perfection Walter! I bet this little beauty could even stop Father Anderson dead in his tracks."

Seras had overcome her self-pity enough to blink over to her Master's side and examine the _Jackal_ with stars in her eyes."Oh my God Master, that's amazing!"

Even Ichigo moved over to inspect the vampire's custom pistol. Although he would rather choose a sword over a gun any day of the year, he could still appreciate a powerful weapon.

Walter smiled pleasantly and turned once more towards the nightstand, where a previously unseen case was resting against it's side. "Miss Victoria, I didn't want you to feel left out, so I whipped something up for you as well."

Seras paused in her admiration of the _Jackal_ to look excitedly in Walter's direction, but her cheerful expression was quickly replaced by a look of utter horror. "W-What the hell is _THAT?!_ "

"Allow me to introduce the _Harkonnen,_ a thirty millimeter anti-freak cannon; designed to use both depleted uranium shells and exploding incendiary shells, this weapon will destroy all but the most heavily armored of targets."

Seras let out another horrified screech.

* * *

Outside the manor, two individuals calmly walked up the road towards the main estate.

"And so like, he's not a real doctor, but he does all of that cosmetic shit you know? So then that same crazy fucker with the horn comes back but now he wants a plexiglass plate for his skull! And the doctor fucking does it! He makes a window; you can see the fucker's brain and shit! The guys got a big monster horn and his head-meat on display, I mean the guy is a total freak! What the fuck!"

"Could you please shut up? This stream of drivel pours from you mouth before every single job; can we just this once try for quiet, focused, and cool?" Luke Valentine pleaded in exasperation.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it! Same old shit, I know. Fuckin' chill out bro." Jan dismissed his brother's annoyance easily with a wave of the hand, and both men looked forward to see that they were nearing the main gate.

One of the guards stepped forward and held out a hand for them to stop. "Hey, what are you two doing here? These grounds are off limits."

"Oh? Well I am so sorry, we're on a sightseeing tour of famous English estates." Luke explained politely. Jan snickered obnoxiously next to him.

"Yeah? Well this is private property, so please leave at once." The guard replied.

The Valentine brothers turned to look at one another and shrugged, before Luke reached up and snapped his fingers. A gunshot echoed through the air, and the guard immediately crumpled to the ground with a hole in the center of his forehead. The man's partner looked on in horror, before turning back to look at the bus the brothers had arrived on. Every single window was open, and the muzzles of about three dozen different assault rifles and machine guns were pointed directly at him.

Jan cackled again. "Oh man, this dude is looking kinda queasy."

Luke smirked and rested his hands in his coat pockets. "He could probably use a good nap."

The brown-haired man of the two grinned and snapped his own fingers. "Right then, see ya."

Every weapon on the bus fired at once, ripping the remaining guard to pieces in a shower of bloody gore and painting the front gate crimson.

"Ok that's enough, hold your fire. I said hold your fucking fire!"

The gunfire ceased, and Jan looked on at the damage in annoyance. "Jeez, these guys are such fucking idiots. Are you sure this is a good idea big bro?"

Luke chuckled, walking forward and stepping over the corpses of the guards. "Oh please, this is nothing but a test. An insignificant, ordinary test. But when this is all over, I hope to be wiping Alucard's brains off of my shoes."

Jan grinned and started to laugh madly as an entire platoon of Ghouls armed to the teeth began to file out of the bus.

* * *

 **And there we go.**

 **Heinkel has been introduced, we had a little fluffy moment between Ichigo and Seras, our favorite vampires have received their signature weapons, and the Valentine brothers have arrived.**

 **If you came into this story expecting Ichigo to be absolutely badass from the very beginning and the most powerful character, then you're going to be very disappointed. A few people seem to have forgotten that this story takes place after Ichigo lost his powers, so guess what that means?**

 **No super strength, no enhanced speed, no enhanced durability, NOTHING. At this point in the plot, Ichigo is just an ordinary eighteen year old with some above average swordsmanship skills. That being said, I will enable him to be able to fight solo against heavily armed Ghouls and Vampires later on, but I will not reveal how exactly.**

 **And yes, Ichigo is beginning to unconsciously absorb the excess Spiritual Energy surrounding him, but before anyone jumps to any conclusions, I ask that you simply wait and see what actually happens.**

 **In the beginning Author's Notes, I stated that the romance aspect of this story will develop slowly, and so in order to prevent anyone from taking Seras and Ichigo's interaction the wrong way, I will explain it. At this point in time, they both have a crush on one another, but are still a majorly long way from actually being in love. I understand that since I have basically set up a blossoming relationship between them, some people might question why I still continue to have a pairing poll. I won't reveal why, but I simply ask that you trust me.**

 **Speaking of the pairing poll… (Remember this includes PM votes)**

 **Seras Victoria: 13 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing: 9 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz: 7 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 6 votes**

 **Raynare: 5 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 5 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 3 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 3 votes**

 **Tiamat: 2 votes**

 **Heinkel Wolfe: 1 vote (Will probably drop out due to recent events)**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 1 vote**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 1 vote**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 1 vote**

 **The voting poll is still open, and I love to not only hear who you guys think should end up with Ichigo, but WHY as well. You can do it guys! Give me some solid reasons!**

 **Reviews are always welcome, but I only ask that if all you're going to do is complain about how Ichigo should be stronger, take a minute and ask yourself two things:**

 **Does it make sense for an eighteen year old human to be able to fight against heavily armed opponents and supernaturally enhanced monsters?**

 **Does it make sense that I'd make him so strong only three chapters into the story?**

 **Until next time!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Home Invasion

* * *

 **Hello everyone, and welcome back to yet another exciting chapter of "Bloodstained Souls!"**

 **This chapter, in case you hadn't already guessed, will focus mainly on the Valentine Brothers' invasion of Hellsing Manor. This means that our favorite characters will be dragged into yet another bloody conflict.**

 **Aside from the fact that there are a good number of line breaks and changes of perspective in this chapter, I don't really have a whole lot else that I think that I need to say, so let's get on with the story shall we?**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

The first major sign that something was wrong was when the lights all across the manor began to flicker.

The collection of individuals at the Round Table conference rose to their feet and glanced at one another uncertainly, and several of the men actually began to shout at one another.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Calm down men! Or do you think you can control yourselves long enough to continue to call yourselves such? Sir Integra, do you have any idea what is happening?" Sir Reginald spoke up, and although his fellow comrades still felt more than a little nervous, they regained enough of their bearings to actively focus on the situation.

Almost as soon as Reginald proposed his inquiry, the receiver on the table in front of Integra blared to life in a shower of static. _"Sir Integra, this is Control Room One!"_

The woman in question growled and crushed the cigar in her hand. "What is going on down there? Report!"

" _We're under attack! It's an unknown enemy; all outside communication has been cut off! They appear to be outfitted with military grade weaponry Ma'am!"_

The blonde woman's eyes widened. Who in their right mind would dare to attack her compound in broad daylight? Iscariot was most certainly out of the question, since their Organization wouldn't survive the negative backlash such an attack would reflect back on them. "Hold the line men, buy as much time as you can!"

" _Yes Ma'am! Wait….ah…augh…ahhhhhhhh!"_

Everyone gathered at the table tensed up when the man on the other end of the line began to scream in obvious terror, and a feeling of utter dread washed through Integra herself.

"Officer? What is the situation? Report!"

" _T-The enemy…the enemy…oh God in Heaven…the enemy are Ghouls Ma'am!"_

The silence that permeated the room was so still that the sound of each individual horrified heartbeat could be heard echoing in every single person's ears. Integra stilled at the revelation, and for the first time in a very long time, she felt the beginnings of fear well up in her chest.

* * *

"God damn it! Why won't they die?!"

Bullets tore the hallway apart as the Hellsing Manor's private security force fired an endless barrage of shots into the oncoming horde of armored Ghouls. The worst part was that, despite the fact that every single shot hit its mark, the undead monstrosities simply continued to move forward at an almost lazy pace.

Even when several of the bullets that were fired severed the sinew keeping one Ghoul's head upright, it still advanced upon them even with its spinal column nearly detached.

Raising their own weapons, the rotting monsters returned fire with fully automatic weapons. The Hellsing security forces didn't stand a chance, and their bodies were shredded by the gunfire in a shower of blood and gore. All the while, the Ghouls simply continued to move forward.

Jan Valentine smirked in satisfaction from behind the line of undead soldiers, and he paused momentarily upon reaching a four way hallway intersection.

Letting out a howling laugh filled with absolute madness, the deranged vampire raised his own machine guns. "Up, up! Down, down! Left, right, left right!"

Rounds left his weapons in every direction as he called them out, almost as if he were in some kind of twisted video game. With each bullet that was fired, another Hellsing guard dropped to the floor and blood sprayed through the air, painting the walls and carpets a horrifying shade of red.

"Aaaaand it looks like we have another instant KO! Mortal Kombat don't got nothing on me bitch!" Jan cackled, grinning widely as he watched his platoon of Ghouls begin to devour the deceased security forces. Closing his eyes, the youngest Valentine brother took a deep inhale and raised his head skyward, allowing the scent of blood and death to invade his enhanced senses. "Oh dude, I am so fucking hard right now…"

From behind his little brother, Luke sighed in exasperation, but his attention was quickly occupied as he glanced down an adjacent hallway that had an ominous cloud of mist hanging over the floor.

—

In the confines of the room in which the Round Table meeting was gathered, Integra had finally overcome enough of her shock and horror to attempt to take control of the situation.

"An army…a Ghoul army."

To her direct left, one of the men at he table, Sir Roberts, slammed his fist down onto the wooden tabletop. "We need to buy more time! Our biggest priority needs to be our security and eventual evacuation!"

The foundation of the entire mansion suddenly shook, and several pieces of debris rained down from the ceiling.

"What in God's name was that?!"

The officer on the other end of the intercom saw first to answer. _"I'm afraid that was the heliport Sir…"_

Integra scowled in a very Ichigo-esque fashion. "This was a very well planned attack… they have the kind of weaponry and armor that makes our own all but useless, and the fact that their soldiers can take what would normally be fatal wounds and keep moving ensures that their forces don't suffer as many casualties as our own."

"Are you absolutely mad?! We sit here with our lives on the line, and you are complimenting our would be executioners?!" Sir Roberts screamed, obviously exhibiting the beginning signs of a mental breakdown.

The Hellsing matriarch whirled on the man and fixed him with a glare so fearsome that the dignified Englishman nearly fell over. "What I am doing, Sir Roberts, is attempting to analyze the enemy's attack pattern and methods in order to possibly find a weak point that they themselves may have overlooked. Now, unless you are going to contribute something useful to that cause, I suggest you sit down, shut up, and suckle on your thumb like the frightened infant you are behaving like."

Sir Roberts shakily slumped back into his chair.

" _Sir Integra, we can't hold this position for much longer! W-We're being overrun! Ah….no…NO! Auugggh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!"_

The unmistakable sound of tearing flesh echoed over the intercom, and once again the room became deathly quiet.

" _Yeah um hello? Can you old fuckers hear me in there?"_ An entirely new voice spoke through the receiver, and Integra was willing to bet that they were being addressed directly by the person in charge of this little attack.

" _This message is going out to the Round Table Conference; and a very special heartfelt and personal shoutout to the queen bitch herself, Miss Hellsing! Your ass is currently being kicked by the Valentine brothers! My name is Jan Valentine, and I can't wait to meet each and every one of you…and don't worry, we'll all be getting very intimate with each other as soon as me and the boys finish lunch. Thanks for catering by the way! By tomorrow morning, Hellsing will be nothing more than a heaping pile of shit…but in the meantime, I highly suggest pissing yourselves, followed by a last ditch prayer to your worthless God. But hey, there's always time to puss out and kill yourself! We love you London! Goodnight!"_

The intercom went silent, and the only thing that could be heard was static.

Across the table, Sir Penwood rose to his feet. "What do you intend to do about this Integra? This is your home after all."

Instead of answering directly, Integra dialed yet another series of numbers into the machine in front of her. "Walter, what is your current position?"

* * *

"At the moment, I am down in the sub-basement in Miss Victoria's room Sir, along with Alucard and Master Ichigo. Don't worry, I have already been brought up to speed on the situation…however since outside communications have been cut off, I wouldn't expect any reinforcements to arrive for at least several more hours." Walter spoke calmly into the receiver, which given the situation, was rather admirable.

" _What do you recommend?"_

"In the meantime, please fortify the door to the Conference Room. Since Alucard, Miss Victoria, and Master Ichigo are currently with me, I suggest we divide into tow teams. Alucard can head upstairs, while Ichigo, Seras, and I make our way to your location."

Ichigo scowled. He would give absolutely anything to have his Soul Reaper powers back right about now, and although _Manus_ was an amazing weapon, it didn't even begin to compare to _Zangetsu._ The blessed sword he currently possessed was only really effective against small groups of unarmed Ghouls, not the walking tanks that were currently invading the mansion.

If only he could produce another energy attack like the one he used against Anderson…but no, that was a poor idea as well. Aside from the fact that he was almost positive he would never be able to replicate that technique again, the strain it had put on his physical body was almost too much to bear. The human form in its natural state simply couldn't handle summoning so much power.

Next to him, Seras was glancing from Walter to Alucard worriedly, obviously concerned for the safety of Integra.

Alucard himself was simply smiling in amusement.

Speaking of Integra, her voice finally came back over the receiver in Walter's hands. _"How will you manage to make it all this way? The hallways are full of Ghouls armed quite literally to the teeth, not to mention whoever it is that is in charge of this little terrorist attack."_

The butler simply chuckled lowly. "How did you manage to find Alucard's cell ten years ago Sir?"

" _The air ducts…of course!"_

"Quite so, it seems that would be our best option at the moment. The three of us shall be there shortly; good luck Ma'am."

Walter made to lower the receiver back into its console, but before he could fully hang up Integra's voice came through once more. _"Walter, these animals are eating my people…show them absolutely no mercy. Do not let a single one of them leave these grounds alive! Am I understood?"_

A brief shimmer of blue light spiraled around Walter's body, and it disappeared so quickly that both Ichigo and Seras had to wonder if they'd actually seen anything in the first place. "Of course Sir Integra…I suppose it is time for me to do as the butler does, and tidy up the place."

Alucard chuckled deeply. "Oh? Does Walter Dornez the Angel of Death ride again?"

Ichigo frowned. "Angel of Death? What the hell are you talking about?"

The elder vampire smirked mysteriously and glanced at the orange-head out of the corner of his eye. "Just wait and see Ghost Boy, you're going to be in for a real treat tonight."

Walter snapped his fingers together to gain their attention. "If you put the veteran warrior, the depowered war dog, and the rookie together…then you might as well have one normal soldier."

Alucard chuckled once again, and walked towards the nearest wall before fading directly through it. "This evening is looking like it might be a bit fun after all."

* * *

Back upstairs, Luke Valentine strolled casually through the many hallways of the manor.

He hadn't quite found what he was looking for just yet, but after several minutes of walking, he was fairly confident hat he was narrowing down his field of search.

Stopping momentarily, the elder Valentine brother took pause to admire a painting adorning the wall next to him. While they may have been on a mission to destroy Hellsing Manor and kill everyone inside, Luke still liked to think of himself as one who could appreciate a beautiful piece of artwork.

The sound of turning gears caught his attention, and he quickly flashed out of the way as at least thirteen spears erupted from the other side of the canvas and were propelled forward. His overcoat was not as fortunate as he was however, and was pinned to the opposite wall by the razor sharp points.

"Such a shame…I really liked that one too." Luke sighed, before once again moving faster than the human eye could possibly hope to follow, and easily cut down the troop of guards who had been hoping to catch him off guard.

"Honestly, I had hoped you lot would be a bit more of a challenge…but of course, you're simply the appetizers. The main course still awaits me." Flicking his blade to the side and clearing it of blood, the blond vampire reached into his pocket when his communicator let out a series of beeps. "What is it now Jan?"

" _Yo Luke, what's up? How's my favorite big brother doing? I'm just calling to let you know that the first two floors are secure; all that's left is to take the third floor, crash the Round Table Conference, aaaaaand kick the shit out of a little girl and a bunch of old people."_

"Good, now just remember to stick to the plan. I think I'm heading down into the basement…" Luke replied, moving aside an obviously fake mirror to reveal a downward secret passage. Hanging up, he made to put the communicator back in his pocket, but paused upon noticing that some blood had gotten on his sleeve. How annoying…he'd have to wash it when they were finished. "Well, I suppose there are some things that just can't be helped. Now then, let's see what you can really do Alucard."

* * *

Despite having seen quite a few spy movies in his day, Ichigo would be the first to admit that climbing through the air ducts was a good deal more difficult than James Bond made it seem to be.

With _Manus_ slung across his back, and Seras' _Harkonnen_ being held in her arms, the trio of Hellsing agents were moving at a much slower pace than any of them would like.

"Don't worry you two, only a few more minutes of crawling to go," Walter spoke up cheerily, causing his younger companions to groan. They had been doing enough crawling for the past twenty-five minutes thank you very much!

"Oh come now, you two should really stop complaining; why, once when I was about fifteen years old during the Second World War, we had to-"

Walter paused when an ominous creak echoed throughout the vent. "I seem to have miscalculated when taking into account just how much pressure our combined weight would put upon the bearings. I need you both to move slowly, and don't put too much weight into any one spot, do you understand?"

Seras and Ichigo both nodded, and the trio carefully continued on their way for several more uninterrupted minutes. Unfortunately, another creak sounded through the air, and they had just enough time to pause before the grate directly underneath the former Substitute collapsed, sending Ichigo sprawling out of the air vent and into the hallway below.

"Ichigo! Are you okay?!" Seras called out in a panicky voice, and although she attempted to move to help her partner, the tight confines of the ducts prevented either her or Walter from turning around to do so.

Groaning, the orange-head sat up and rubbed his aching scalp. "Yeah…I'm okay, I just-"

The young man froze on seeing at least four Ghouls round the corner further down the hallway. They hadn't seen him yet, but if he even moved the slightest muscle they would most likely spot him and open fire. Looking back up towards the vents, Ichigo spoke in a hushed whisper. "You guys go on ahead…there are some Ghouls down here."

"What?! Hurry and climb back up then!" Seras pleaded in her own subdued tone, while Walter simply remained silent and analyzed the situation.

"I can't do that and you both know it. If I move at all then they'll obviously see me, but if they see me trying to crawl into the vents, then they'll either cut us to pieces with those guns or report back to the guy in charge and they'll figure out our plan." Ichigo scowled.

This really was a tough situation. On one hand, he could try and make it up into the vent, but the Ghouls would see him and kill all three of them. On the other, he could lead them away from Seras and Walter and try and find a place to hide until they were able to regroup. Ichigo wasn't exactly happy with his options, but the choice was clear.

"You guys keep going, I'll draw their attention."

"Are you bloody insane?!" Seras practically screeched in a hushed whisper, causing the orange-head to wince when one of the Ghouls began looking in his direction.

"Just trust me, I'll be fine."

Rising to his feet and drawing _Manus_ , Ichigo waved his arms around and fully caught the undead monsters' attention. "Hey! Over here you rotten assholes!" Spinning around, he then sprinted down the hallway as fast as he was humanly capable. The one good thing about dealing with Ghouls was that they were incredibly slow, especially when wearing armor, so by the time one of them finally began firing, Ichigo had already turned the next corner out of harms way.

The group of Ghouls moaned incoherently and shuffled after their newly acquired target, while Sears and Walter remained undetected above them.

"That absolute idiot!" Seras practically seethed. "Why does he feel like he always needs to be a hero? He'd better come back to us just so I can kick his bloody ass all the way across London!"

"Are you sure you don't mean he'd better come back to _YOU,_ Miss Victoria?" Walter inquired softly.

Although he couldn't see her face, the fledgling vampire's silence was telling enough, and the elderly retainer smiled knowingly. "Worry not Miss Victoria, I have a firm feeling that this will not be the last we see of Master Ichigo."

* * *

Dealing with a group of grown men acting like children was not how Integra had envision she'd be spending her day.

"What the hell is going on out there?!" Sir Penwood demanded, slamming a hand down on the table.

Taking a long draw from her cigar, Integra breathed out a cloud of smoke before answering. "The enemy is converging towards our position…they have taken control of the first two floors, as well as the roof. Escape is currently impossible."

The portly man gasped in terror. "You have to do something! I can't die here!"

"That's enough Sir Penwood! Sir Integra is no more responsible for this attack as you or I, now calm yourself and sit down." Sir Reginald demanded firmly, causing Penwood to wilt and sink back into his chair.

Integra sent the man a meaningful look before putting out her cigar and folding her hands in front of her face. "When the time comes…and it _WILL_ come gentleman…we must all be willing and able to fend for ourselves until more support can arrive."

Penwood's eyes widened, and he moved to hold his head in his hands. "Against Ghouls? No, there is no walking away from this…we're all going to die."

Integra frowned and opened her mouth to respond, but the sudden creaking from the ventilation shaft directly above Penwood drew the collective attention of everyone in the room. The grate popped out of its socket and fell down to strike the sobbing man on the head, and not a moment latter a clearly disoriented Seras Victoria followed.

Walter, on the other hand, easily landed on his hands and vaulted himself back to his feet directly next to Integra, who looked on disbelievingly. "I do apologize for the delay Ma'am, but unfortunately during our travel here we became separated from Master Ichigo. There is no reason to fear however; the boy is certainly resourceful enough to look after himself, even given the current circumstances."

Integra tensed at the news, but Ichigo would have to fend for himself until the situation got under control. "Do you have anything else to report?"

"Our forces have been soundly decimated…I won't claim to know who armed and trained these creatures, but whoever did is a tactical genius." The butler paused to light another cigar for his employer before continuing with his explanation. "They knew both exactly how and where to hit us to make us the most vulnerable."

Integra frowned and glanced away from her cigar to look directly at Walter. "Be honest with me…do you think we're done for?"

"Of course not Ma'am. Compared to the trouble Abraham Van Helsing faced a century ago, I think it is fair to say that this hardly rates as a crisis. The plan is as follows, Alucard will intercept our attackers in the sub-levels, while Seras and I will work together to clear this floor. Master Ichigo is undoubtedly making his own effort to diminish the enemy's numbers, and when we find him the three of us will make short work of these invaders." As he spoke, several strands of wire quickly danced around Walter's body, before they quickly vanished once again.

"Now then, with your permission Sir Integra, I think it is time that I teach these young people some proper manners."

* * *

Luke Valentine grinned triumphantly as he kicked down the door at the end of the hidden staircase.

Finally! He'd found the hiding spot of the single individual he'd been hoping to come across all this time.

Walking forward through the dark and empty room, the blond vampire's smile widened even more when his eyes landed on the red-clad individual sitting in the throne-like chair in the center of the chamber. "There you are…you know, it's awfully rude to sit in your room when guests are over."

Alucard smirked and chuckled slightly, folding his hands in his lap and watching patiently as Luke advanced towards him. "And yet here you are. I must say that it is awfully flattering for you to have come all this way just for a monster such as me, but in the end you'll still die regardless."

The elder Valentine brother actually laughed before coming to a stop only several feet from Alucard's position. "You've become so used to being the most powerful being here that you've given up on actually treating your enemies with caution huh? Well, before we start this little dance, will you allow me to tell you a bit about myself?"

"Oh by all means."

"My name is Luke Valentine, and I was specifically designed to kill you. My speed, strength, endurance, and stamina have all been augmented to the point where taking you down should be mere child's play. Even so, I'm hoping that you'll put up at least some semblance of a fight."

Alucard let out a genuinely amused laugh, much to Luke's irritation. "And what exactly is so damn funny?"

"Oh nothing really, aside from the fact that you simply decided to assume that I am the most dangerous individual within the manor."

The blond's green eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but the surprise across his face was quickly replaced with a scowl. The fool was obviously bluffing. "And who, pray tell, could possibly be the most powerful agent of Hellsing if not you?"

"There is a boy upstairs by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki, and although his physical prowess doesn't even merit a second glance, it is his potential that is truly special. Ever since I met him, I have always felt like I have been in the company of a living sponge…and there is a theory that I have been mulling over in my brain regarding that potential."

Luke scoffed and reached to rest his hands in his pockets. "If a simple human kid is supposedly greater than even you, then why tell me in the first place? After I'm done with you, all I'll need to do is go back upstairs and kill him, and the problem will be solved."

Alucard chuckled once again, and despite himself Luke couldn't help the feeling of dread that kept down his spine.

"Such a silly little man…I tell you this simply to let you know why it is that you will fail. Now then, you told me about yourself, so I shall return that courtesy. Did you know that I am capable of freely directing my Spiritual Energy? I can make it leave my body, reinforce a structure, and even enter another living being."

As soon as he finished speaking, an utterly monstrous pulse of Spiritual Energy shot out from Alucard and filled the entirety of the mansion.

After overcoming his shock, Luke looked back at the elder vampire with widened eyes. "What the hell did you just do?"

Grinning savagely and showcasing every single one of his sharpened teeth, Alucard reached into his cloak to grasp both the _Jackal_ and _Cassull._

"I made things interesting."

* * *

Ichigo was not having a very good day.

After parting ways with Seras and Walter, he had been forced to dodge and outmaneuver hordes upon hordes of heavily armed Ghouls. That in itself wasn't really a problem, but the fact that there were simply so many of them was starting to wear the former Substitute out.

Pausing in his trek, Ichigo leaned against the nearest wall to catch his breath. As he took several deep gulps of air, the orange-head was suddenly sent crashing to the floor as a virtual typhoon of Spirit Energy cascaded down the hallway. For a moment everything cleared, but then the pain returned full force.

After months of not being able to sense Spiritual Energy, the sudden overload to Ichigo's senses was almost unbearable, and he screamed in agony at the feeling of the Energy invading every pore in his body and welling up within him. It was dark and malicious, and there was only one thing he could think of before his senses dulled completely.

The former Substitute's eyes squeezed shut against the pain, before once again snapping open. As the last of the Energy was absorbed into his body, Ichigo's irises shifted from their normal gentle brown into an absolutely burning gold, and the white of his sclera bled into an ominous midnight black.

The wailing roar that followed echoed through every single hallway and room in the entire mansion, and every single person who heard it would remember the sound until the day they died.

* * *

 **So yeah, I just did that.**

 **Before anyone makes any kind of false assumption as to what just occurred, allow me to explain:**

 **Alucard has malicious and dark Spirit Energy right? And what kind of creature from the** _ **Bleach**_ **universe has dark energy? That's right, Hollows. When Alucard forced his Spirit Energy into Ichigo, who has already been established to be an essential walking sponge, Ichigo's body recognized the energy as being dark, and converted it into Hollow reiatsu. If someone holy in nature were to force their energy into him, then that would manifest in the form of his Quincy abilities. Make sense?**

 **Ichigo is not getting his Soul Reaper powers back at this point, so don't worry if you thought I was about to go the usual route of giving him his typical abilities. He isn't turning into a vampire either, which I feel would be kind of cliche anyways. No, I have something planned for our favorite Strawberry in the future that I'm quite confident not many people will be expecting.**

 **That aside, let's see how the ladies in the pairing poll are faring shall we? (This includes PM votes):**

 **Seras Victoria: 17 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing: 10 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz: 7 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 6 votes**

 **Raynare: 5 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 5 votes**

 **Rias Gregory: 4 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 3 votes**

 **Tiamat: 3 votes**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 1 vote**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 1 vote**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 1 vote**

 **So, as you can probably see, Heinkel has dropped out of the running. I'm sorry if anyone was rooting for her, but her storyline has pretty much been established at this point, and she views Ichigo as family.**

 **As always, reviews are more than welcome. Keep those votes coming!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Monsters We Are

* * *

 **Hello everyone, and welcome back to yet another exciting installment of "Bloodstained Souls!"**

 **I'm glad that people continue to find this story interesting, and I will continue to update on a hopefully weekly basis for the foreseeable future. College is starting back up again soon, so I might have to adjust my writing schedule, but it shouldn't be too much of a hassle.**

 **Aside from that, I hereby dub the pairing Ichigo/Seras as 'Crimson Soul!'**

 **Its always fun to come up with pairing names, but that isn't what you've been waiting for is it? You guys are ready to see some Hollow action right? Well get ready, cuz its coming at ya!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

"What the fuck was that?!"

Jan stopped dead in his tracks when the most ungodly sound he'd ever heard reverberated all across the mansion. None of his Ghouls were capable of even reaching such a volume, and aside from them, the only enhanced beings he was aware of being in the manor were Alucard and the blonde with the big tits.

His train of thought was rapidly cut short when a tidal wave of Spiritual Energy swept through the hallway, sending him crashing to the floor and vomiting out the contents of his stomach due to just the pressure alone. It felt like he was standing at the very bottom of the ocean, but almost as soon as it appeared, the energy vanished into thin air.

The youngest Valentine brother coughed several more times before wiping his mouth on his sleeve and shakily rising back up to his feet. Looking around, his eyes widened upon seeing that several of the Ghouls in his platoon had been completely decimated underneath the weight of the Spiritual Pressure, and were now simple piles of pulverized flesh staining the carpet.

"Oh you've got to be fucking kidding me!" Jan growled, watching as the remaining Ghouls turned on their obliterated comrades and began shoveling handfuls of rotten flesh into their gaping maws. "Oh who gives a shit; I'll be getting more backup any second anyway."

Luke was most likely busy dealing with Alucard, and _HIS_ job was to crash the Round Table Conference and kill anyone inside. His big brother had also given him the green light to take out Alucard's little pet if he got the chance, and honestly he was kind of hoping they would end up running into each other.

Jan leered and licked his lips.

Maybe he'd have a little fun with the bitch before killing her…oh what the hell; maybe he'd have some more even after.

The deranged vampire's laughter filled the hallway, and the squadron of Ghouls finished their meal and returned to their feet.

There was nothing that could stop them now!

* * *

Footsteps echoed down the hallway.

A small group of Ghouls, who had been feasting off of the corpses of several of Hellsing Manor's private security forces, looked up to acknowledge the new presence approaching them.

That was all they were even able to do, and as the sound of static signature to the Sonido technique filled the air, the undead monsters literally exploded into chunks of rotten flesh and viscera. Blood flew into the air, but Ichigo easily avoided all of it.

Or at least, the creature that had once been Ichigo.

As far as appearances went, the former Substitute still looked fairly human. However, his gold and black eyes, along with the white mask that was beginning to materialize on the left half of his face, clearly indicated that something was off.

Ichigo stood motionless as the carpets and walls were stained with blood, glancing down at the sword clutched in his right hand. Ever since his transformation had started, _Manus_ had become shrouded in a wreath of black and red flames. Even though his inhuman mind was currently incapable of any kind of rational thought, the Hollow recognized that the weapon belonged to him, and would serve him well in cutting down all of the Rotten Ones. Their stench was offensive, and it brought him no end of pleasure to watch their torsos separate from the rest of their bodies.

Raising his head, Ichigo closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. A cascade of scents swept through his senses, some of which he was able to recognize, but most were foreign to him. The Dark One was currently engaged in some kind of a battle down in his lair, and the one he was fighting had a similar smell, but the Hollow could tell that he was far less powerful. The Stern Female was with a group of unfamiliars, most of whom stunk of fear and sweat.

The Hollowfied boy smirked.

Humans were so easy to terrify…all you really had to do was introduce something foreign into their lives, and even the bravest of men would fall apart like newborn infants. However, even in his instinctual state, Ichigo still held a certain amount of respect for the Stern Female. She had an ironclad will, and would rather die than back down from either the likes of himself or the Dark One.

He also respected the Wise One.

Although the Wise One was in his twilight years, he was still very spry. Ichigo knew that the elderly human had more to him than met the eye, and for that, he was willing to spare him if they crossed paths.

The Hollow's face twisted in disgust as the scent of even more of the Rotten Ones invaded his nostrils. Despite the amount of respect he held for the Stern Female and Wise One, not even they would be able to sway him in his path to decimate every single one of the walking corpses. They were affronts to nature…dead who still walked the Earth in physical bodies; but the Dark One was different. The crimson-eyed monster was neither alive OR dead, but somewhere in between, and as such his presence in the World of the Living was tolerable.

Just like his Chosen One…

Swinging his blade behind him carelessly, Ichigo didn't even bother to turn around to witness the concussive force of his weapon cleave several of the Rotten Ones who thought they could sneak up on him in half. His mind was far too preoccupied.

As much as he hated to admit it, in his current state he was nowhere near as powerful as the Dark One, but he was still able to decimate the Rotten Ones with almost laughable ease. Based on the Spiritual Energy he was able to sense all throughout the mansion, he would confidently wager that he was at least the second strongest living thing within the direct area, and that fact alone was more than enough for him.

His path was clear.

He would attempt to locate the Stern Female and Wise One first, since they were simple ordinary humans. Even though he was a Hollow, it would greatly sadden him if anything unfortunate were to befall either of them. As he made his way towards them, he would cut down any of the Rotten Ones he encountered, as well as their Masters.

Ichigo walked forward in the direction of their Spiritual Energy.

Yes, he would rid this place of all intruders and weaklings.

And then he would claim his Chosen One.

* * *

"Come out and plaaay little Hellsing…all we want to do is torture you, kill you, and maybe skull-fuck your corpse for about an hour or two!"

Jan smirked as he led his personal squadron of Ghouls towards the Conference Room. They had ransacked the rest of the mansion, killed all of the guards, and had a tasty little lunch break, so now it was finally time to start getting serious.

The immense Spiritual Pressure he had felt earlier had seemingly disappeared, so he was pretty sure it was either just Luke or Alucard throwing themselves at each other. After all, according to their Daten, there was literally no one else in the mansion capable of releasing so much power. The blonde chick with the giant tits would probably be able to given a few years, but unfortunately for her, she wouldn't even last the rest of the night if they had anything to say about it.

The youngest Valentine brother suddenly stopped dead in his tracks when a door further down the hallway opened up, and an old man dressed as a butler stepped out to face them. The artificial vampire grinned, and was about to make a rather scathing remark, when the butler's fingers twitched and the cigar in Jan's mouth fell into pieces.

Behind him, several of the heavily armored Ghouls in his platoon erupted into fountains of blood not even half a second later.

"Oh my…I seemed to have missed my target. I suppose I'm simply not as young as I used to be." The butler walked forward, and Jan felt a bead of sweat run down his temple. "Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Water C. Dornez, butler to the Hellsing family. I take out the trash, clean the estate, and kill self-entitled little twats such as yourself."

Jan stepped backward and snapped his fingers. "Open fire!"

The remaining Ghouls immediately let loose a barrage of bullets, which proceeded to completely tear the hallway to pieces. Unfortunately for them, Walter avoided every single shot with almost laughable ease, and as he dashed forward several Microfilament Wires warped around his body.

"A bit on the slow side aren't they?" The butler smirked. "But then again, I suppose a Ghoul is just simply that…a Ghoul. They make for fine foot soldiers if given the proper numbers and ammunition, but their reaction time is incredibly poor even compared to a human, much less a real vampire."

Walter's fingers flexed again, and the wires attached to his gloves shot out and wrapped around several of the Ghouls. The butler gave a gentle tug, and the undead monsters promptly fell to pieces in an explosion of blood and viscera.

Jan looked on with wide eyes as the butler casually continued to stroll forward.

"I highly recommend pissing yourself young man, followed by any last-ditch prayers you might have to offer to your God."

The artificial vampire stood still for several long moments, before inexplicably doubling over in hysterical laughter. "Ah that's fucking great old timer! I gotta tell ya, plowing through you people was really starting to bore the fuck out of me! Now things can get interesting." Jan snapped his fingers, and several Ghouls lined up in front of him and raised their shields to form a firing line.

Walter simply continued to smile pleasantly. "Miss Victoria, now would be a good time for some supporting fire…"

Even further down the hallway behind Walter, the _Harkonnen's_ long barrel emerged from between a set of doors. Seras leveled the enormous cannon against her shoulder, and looked down the scope directly at the center column of Ghouls. "Get the hell out of our house!"

A gunshot louder than thunder echoed through the air, and almost immediately at least a dozen or more of the walking corpses erupted into showers of gore, spilling chunks of rotten flesh and blood in every direction.

Seras blinked and looked down at her weapon. "Whoah…"

Walter glanced over his shoulder to look at her. "Now is not the time for admiration Miss Victoria, now please fire a secon-"

The butler grew silent as the air in the area became extremely heavy, and at least ten of the Ghouls in Jan's platoon suddenly collapsed under the mounting pressure. Footsteps echoed down the hallway from behind the group of undead monsters, and a growling hiss filled the air.

Slowly, Jan turned around as a feeling of utter dread welled up in his chest, and he promptly froze on meeting the blazing golden eyes of the monster that rounded the corner.

Ichigo's mask had expanded to encompass the entirety of his face, and the only part of what lay underneath that was visible was his eyes and hair.

Calmly walking forward, the Hollow stopped several feet away from the group of Ghouls, and regarded them curiously by cocking his head to the side.

Jan stepped back a few paces, while Walter and Seras looked on with wide eyes.

Unlike the artificial vampire, the blonde Draculina actually stepped forward. "Ichigo…?"

The Hollow's head snapped in her direction so quickly that she actually flinched, but it simply looked at her for several long moments before letting out a deep rumbling sound that resonated in his chest.

Overcoming his initial shock and fear, Jan scowled and snapped his fingers once again. "Open fire! Kill that fucker!"

The Ghouls immediately responded and turned around to unleash a barrage of bullets at the motionless Ichigo. Seras screamed in protest and Walter made to move forward, but his assistance turned out to be unnecessary. Ichigo's form faded away into an afterimage, and the sound of static filled the air. The Hollow suddenly appeared directly in front of Seras, who instinctively backed up several steps.

Jan whirled around and prepared to give his Ghouls another order, but the sound of squelching flesh caught his attention and he turned back again just in time to witness every single one of the undead monsters falling to pieces. Both he and Walter looked on in a mixture of awe and terror, but Ichigo's attention remained firmly on Seras.

The blonde fledgling began to feel increasingly nervous under her partner's unblinking gaze, and she started to fidget slightly in place. "Um, Ichigo…are you okay?"

A hand was suddenly caressing her cheek, and she nearly shrieked at the sudden contact, but Ichigo's golden eyes held her firmly in place.

" **Mine…"**

"W-What?!"

Jan began laughing from behind them, finally drawing Ichigo's attention away from Seras. "You think you're such hot shit don't ya freak?! Well guess what? I've still got plenty of grunts to spare!" As he spoke, a new group of Ghouls trudged down the hallway, and much to the horror of both Walter and Seras, they were all comprised of the deceased members of Hellsing Manor's staff.

Ichigo's amber eyes narrowed, but otherwise he remained impassive.

The Rotten Ones were mere distractions…if he wanted to end them, then he needed to kill the Loud One first. Raising _Manus,_ the Hollowfied orange-head charged forward directly at Jan, who's own eyes widened in surprise. Luckily enough for him, his vampiric speed allowed him to stay barely a fraction of an inch ahead of Ichigo's swings, but at several points the tip of the holy sword still scratched his flesh regardless.

As Ichigo chased Jan down the hallway, the horde of Ghouls slowly continued to approach Walter and Seras, who both remained frozen in horror. Walter quickly regained enough of his senses to retreat several dozen feet away, but Seras herself continued to stand in horrified paralysis. The undead monstrosities reached out to grasp at the Draculina's frozen body, and the moment one of them finally touched her, the blonde was broken out of her shock and let out a terrified scream.

Ichigo whirled around as soon as he heard his Chosen One's cry for help, but a bullet grazing his shoulder brought him back to the situation at hand, as well as his current opponent. He would have to kill the Loud One first, and then return to obliterate anyone who dared to lay a hand on his Chosen.

"You better pay attention fuck-face, or else you'll end up full of lead!" Jan cackled, backpedaling down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him.

Ichigo simply growled and continued to advance, swinging _Manus_ at every open opportunity he could find. The majority of his slashes were used to deflect the torrent of bullets being fired in his direction, but a few managed to actually land small wounds on the artificial vampire.

Jan grimaced when one of the bullets was deflected back in his direction and imbedded itself in his shoulder, but even so he continued to attempt to put more distance between himself and the masked monster. For all of his boasting, he could tell that he was being played with. The orange-head's slashes weren't precise or calculated in the slightest, and almost seemed to be lazy. The younger Valentine brother knew that he was almost hilariously outmatched, but if he didn't at least put up half a decent fight, then his superiors monitoring the fight would see fit to terminate him that much sooner.

"You're a creepy fucker you know that?" Jan smirked, attempting to put on some more false bravado. "You're just standing there all quiet and shit, growling at me like you're some kinda animal? Well guess what pal? You better start taking this seriously, or I'll just kill you and then move on to the hooker and old dude. Still though, maybe that big tittied bitch will give me a bit more fun when I'm fucking her brains out…you know, before I splatter her head all over the wall!"

Ichigo went deathly still, and just when the artificial vampire was about to make another mocking comment, the Hollowfied teen raised his left arm and pointed directly at Jan with his index finger. The Spiritual Energy in the air was pulled towards the tip of the orange-head's finger, and started to take the shape of a black and red orb of power.

" **Cero…"**

The sound of static filled the air once again as the sphere of energy, now the size of a soccer ball, rocketed from it's place at the tip of Ichigo's finger and was sent sailing directly at Jan's head.

The brown-haired vampire's yellow eyes widened. "Oh fuck me…"

Leaping out of the way just before the Cero Ray could hit him, the younger Valentine brother watched as it impacted the wall behind where he had just been standing. The plaster and bearings where instantly vaporized, and the Cero continued through wall after wall until violently exploding in a shower of Spiritual Energy, which shook the entirety of the mansion.

Scrambling to his feet, Jan attempted to make a run for it, but was halted dead in his tracks when Ichigo used Sonido to appear directly in front of him. Faster than even the vampire's eyes could follow, the orange-head lashed out and grabbed him by the lower half of his face before hoisting him up to eye level. Jan punched, kicked, scratched, and even bit at his captor, but all of it was for nothing, and Ichigo still continued to stand completely unfazed.

Leaning forward, the Hollowfied teen looked directly into Jan's terrified yellow eyes with his own burning golden gaze, before letting loose a horrifying roar that nearly made the vampire crap his pants then and there.

"Come on dude! Have a little bit of mercy!" Jan screamed frantically, attempting to buy himself at least a little more time. If the kid didn't kill him, then his superiors would likely flip his self-destruct switch any second, so in all honesty he was dead either way. Even so, he mentally refused to acknowledge that there was nothing he could do, and so he did what almost all falsely confident douchebags did in times of a crisis.

He begged and wept.

Ichigo regarded the hysterically sobbing vampire silently for a moment, before leaning forward so that he was almost nose-to-mask with the would-be terrorist. Then, he spoke in a double-toned voice so terrifying that Jan lost all forms of coherent thought.

" **Sorry…all out of mercy…"**

Jan screamed as Spiritual Energy began to gather in the palm Ichigo was using to hold him, and it built up to such an extreme intensity that the skin and flesh on his face began to disintegrate.

" **Cero."**

The artificial vampire let out one final shriek of terror before the Cero was forced into his mouth and down his throat, causing his head to explode like a watermelon.

Blood, flesh, skull fragments, and brain matter were all sent flying in every direction, and the Hollowfied Ichigo watched impassively as what remained of Jan Valentine's body slumped to the floor and was encased in azure flames. Turning his head, the orange-head used Sonido to return back to where he had left the Wise One and his Chosen. He was immediately prepared to kill even more monsters, but instead he was pleasantly surprised to see that his Chosen was apparently in another blood-rage, and was currently decimating the remaining Rotten Ones as if it were mere child's play.

Ichigo let out a deep rumbling sound, and Seras' head immediately snapped in his direction. Punching a hole directly through the last remaining Ghoul's head, she carelessly tossed it's corpse aside and approached the Hollow without any form of caution.

Blood stained both her uniform and her skin, and her currently crimson eyes were half-lidded. Letting out a much lighter purr of her own, the vampiress stopped directly in front of Ichigo and sniffed the air, before letting out a throaty moan.

Ichigo cocked his head to the side curiously, before turning to glance down at the wound on his shoulder where one of Jan's bullets had managed to graze him.

Seras slowly licked her fangs and leaned forward towards the bleeding wound with her tongue outstretched, before suddenly the atmosphere became much lighter and a series of spiderweb cracks began to spread across Ichigo's mask.

The Draculina paused completely when the mask finally shattered, and Ichigo's eyes faded back into their normal coloring before rolling back in their sockets. The orange-head suddenly collapsed, and landed face-first directly in Seras' chest. The sudden physical contact broke the blonde from her own instinctual state, and she blinked several times deliriously before finally glancing down at her unconscious partner.

"I-Ichigo?! What are you doing?!"

"It appears as though he has finally run out of steam Miss Victoria," Walter observed, coming to stand next to the now kneeling blonde. "If what I was told by Sir Integra was correct, then what we just witnessed should not have been possible given Master Ichigo's current level of power. If I had to take a guess, then I'd say that the strain the transformation was putting on his physical body has finally caught up with him…"

The butler paused in thought for a moment before chuckling in amusement. "It's a good thing you two snapped out of it when you did…I doubt I would have been able to separate the both of you if things had escalated any further."

Seras' eyes widened and a crimson blush spread across her cheeks. "What do you mean Walter?! What happened?!"

Before anything else could be said, the door to the Conference Room at the end of the hallway was flung open, and a battle-ready Integra Hellsing stormed out with a pistol in her hand. "All right you undead bastards, time to-"

The blonde woman paused upon seeing the piles of clearly deceased Ghouls lining the hallway. Blood stained the walls and the floor, and chunks of rotting flesh filled just about every crevice; and in the middle of it all stood a smirking Walter and a kneeling Seras, who was cradling an unconscious Ichigo against her bosom.

Integra slowly lowered her weapon and blinked several times.

"Someone please explain…"

* * *

Alucard smirked as the last remaining traces of Luke Valentine's essence were absorbed into the mass of millions of souls constituting his body.

So the boy had actually managed to succeed, eh?

He had been able to sense the progress of the completely one-sided fight between Ichigo and Jan Valentine during his own battle against the elder brother, and he would admit to being slightly impressed. Not out loud of course, but he would still offer praise where it was due.

Luke had been able to put up a fairly decent fight while he had remained in his sealed state, but once Alucard had released his Level One Restriction, the winner had become clear almost immediately. It was painfully obvious that both of the Valentine brothers were not naturally occurring vampires, and even though their manufactured abilities were well crafted, they could not even begin to compare to the likes of himself and the Police Girl.

The artificial vampires were unable to summon familiars, phase through objects, or regenerate mortal injuries, all of which were common abilities for even mid-level true Nosferatu. Their only real enhancements were their enhanced strength, speed, and stamina. They were impressive considering their nature, but in the end they were still nothing but dog food.

Chuckling to himself, Alucard placed the seals meant to contain his power back into place and stored the _Jackal_ and _Cassull_ back in his cloak, before slowly ascending the stairs leading upstairs at a moderate pace.

After all, there were no more intruders, so what was the hurry?

Integra would likely fill him with several dozen silver bullets once she learned of the nature of just how he had been able to force Ichigo's transformation, but the payoff was incredibly worth it in his opinion.

"Things certainly are becoming rather interesting around here…"

* * *

 **I hope everyone is satisfied with how I portrayed Hollow Ichigo. I would have tried to make things more action-y, but he is so much more powerful than Ghouls in this state that it would have just been unbelievable if they'd been able to put up even a semblance of a fight. Jan was able to stay even with him for a while, but we all saw how that turned out…**

 **Let me be clear, this version of Hollow Ichigo is not as powerful as the usual version from** _ **Bleach**_ **due to the fact that Alucard forced the transformation to occur while Ichigo was in his physical body. If he had managed to find a way to transfer to his Spiritual Form, then things would have gone completely differently, and Ichigo could've snapped his fingers and won the fight. But that wouldn't have been any fun. Make sense?**

 **In case there is still any confusion as to who he was referring to while in his Hollowfied state, I will elaborate:**

 **Dark One- Alucard**

 **Stern Female- Integra**

 **Wise One- Walter**

 **Chosen One- Seras**

 **Rotten Ones- Ghouls**

 **Loud One- Jan**

 **I decided to have Ichigo refer to everyone by very simplistic names due to the fact that while in his Hollow form, he is driven by his baser instincts, and so his thought process is extremely basic. He is still himself at heart, but as I said, the most basic parts of his mind and personality come to the surface while his mask is on.**

 **Kind of like a caveman…but still a little more cognizant and coherent…kind of.**

 **He is more intelligent than a typical beastial Hollow, but nowhere near the level of an Arrancar.**

 **And yeah, we had a brief steamy moment between Hollow Ichigo and Blood Lust Seras. Since I had already established that Seras' own base instincts come to the surface when she is in her 'red-eyes mode,' I couldn't help but write that little tidbit. Don't judge me XD.**

 **Speaking of steamy moments, let's take a look at the pairing poll shall we? (As always, this includes PM requests as well.):**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 24 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing: 13 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz: 9 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 7 votes**

 **Raynare: 7 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 7 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 6 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 4 votes**

 **Tiamat: 4 votes**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 2 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 1 vote**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 2 votes**

 **Some people don't seem to realize that Yumiko Takagi** _ **IS**_ **the katana-swinging nun from** _ **Hellsing Ultimate,**_ **so yeah.**

 **Also, I apologize if anyone was looking forward to Luke vs Alucard, but I honestly wanted to focus solely on Ichigo for a change, as well as finish up the Valentine Brothers' invasion.**

 **See you all next time, and reviews are always welcome.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: I Wanna Know What Love Is

* * *

 **So yeah, I know that this chapter is pretty late, and I am extremely sorry for that. Let me explain why.**

 **So apparently, one of my coworkers decided to quit without informing our manager in the slightest, so guess who was forced to give up all of their days off in order to cover his ENTIRE weekly shift? That's right; me. In addition to my OWN shift. If I had known about this ahead of time, I would have tried to alter my writing schedule, but I was only informed about it the day before the fact.**

 **Oh yeah, and my internet wasn't working properly, so I was unable to review the next actual** _ **Hellsing Ultimate**_ **episode when I wanted to. I always watch the corresponding episodes relative to each chapter before actually doing any writing in order to make sure I understand everything correctly.**

 **I am also on the recovering end from some pretty annoying seasonal allergies, and although they're never anything very serious, they can still be pretty damn annoying to deal with.**

 **Anyway, here we go again. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

Integra was not in a good mood.

Her home was in shambles, corpses littered the hallways, and to top it all off Ichigo had yet to regain consciousness after his transformation and subsequent rampage. Walter had assured her that the boy would pull through just fine, but the fact that Alucard forced such a transformation to occur without any regard for the young man's health infuriated her to no end.

Letting out a sigh, the blonde leaned back in her chair and reached to open up her desk drawer. Pulling out a case of fresh cigars, Integra quickly lit one up and drew in an extremely deep inhale. Ah, how the simple things in life most often provided the most comfort…

A knock at her office doors caught her attention, and she looked up just in time to see a rather nervous looking Sir Penwood entering the room.

Blowing out a cloud of smoke, the Hellsing matriarch rested her chin on her fist; she couldn't care less about decorum after what had just transpired. "You're looking much better Sir Penwood…I trust that everyone has calmed down?"

The portly man sighed and ran a hand through his receding hairline. "Indeed, though that is not the reason why I am here. I feel as though I must apologize for my earlier behavior Sir Integra; it was completely unfair of me to so heavily attempt to place the entire blame and weight of the situation solely on yourself. I do hope you can forgive me…"

Integra smiled softly. "There is nothing to be forgiven; you were in a life threatening situation, and any normal person would have been absolutely terrified. Even I will admit to being scared occasionally, but I cannot afford to let my men see me in such a state…in times of crisis, human beings need a beacon to gather around and lead them through the darkness. No matter how terrified I may be on the inside, I must always outwardly remain unfazed."

Penwood chuckled and shook his head slightly. "Truly Integra, your father, God bless his soul, would have been incredibly proud to see the woman you have become."

The blonde smiled appreciatively.

Coughing, the Englishman once again adopted a slightly nervous expression. "That being said my dear, recent events have brought up several concerns amongst the Round Table that I feel need to be addressed as soon as possible…"

Integra sighed and massaged her temples. "Sir Penwood, I am afraid that I am NOT in the mood to have this discussion with you again."

"Well I apologize for that my dear, but the fact remains that you could have very well died today; and without an heir to succeed you, the Hellsing Organization would have no future to look towards if your time had abruptly come to an end. You have been of marrying age for quite some time now, and although I know you have no need to answer to any man, you still need someone to take your place when the time comes," Penwood replied firmly.

The blonde woman grimaced. "Can you honestly picture me as the mothering type Shelby? I would not have the slightest clue how to raise a child, let alone mold them to be the next head of the Hellsing Organization. Besides, even if I were to agree to this, I would only do so after finding a man I deem worthy, and unfortunately I have yet to find someone who meets all of my criteria."

Penwood raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure there's no one who's caught your eye my dear?"

Integra's eyes narrowed. "What are you implying old friend…?"

The older man waved off the young woman's accusatory tone easily enough. "Oh nothing, I'm sure. Regardless, you don't need to make a decision right away, but all I ask is that you at least give it some thought."

"Very well, I will…consider it," the blonde relented reluctantly.

* * *

Bullets tore through her target.

Heinkel snarled and slammed another magazine into her handgun, before unleashing another barrage of shots that tore the dummy at the end of the target range to pieces. She was so _gottverdammt_ angry! Word had travelled remarkably quickly of the attack on Hellsing Manor, and although normally she wouldn't have even batted an eyelash in concern, the fact that her _kleiner Bruder_ could have very well been killed had enraged her to no end.

She didn't know if she could live with herself if she'd allowed Ichigo to perish before helping him see the light. Heinkel would rather die herself before allowing Masaki's son to continue to rest in the claws of that Protestant harlot, but unfortunately she had her orders. She, along with Yumie and Father Anderson, were confined to Italy until the Vatican could gather more information about the mysterious forces who had invaded the Hellsing Estate, as well as any additional data on how to possibly put down Alucard.

The undead monster had been powerful enough to force Anderson himself to retreat, and that fact in and of itself was enough to warrant an instinctual sense of caution and hesitance before actually engaging him in any kind of battle.

Letting out a snort, the blonde exorcist prepared to reload, but the sound of approaching footsteps caught her attention. Turning to glance at the entrance of the target range, Heinkel was fairly surprised to see Yumie opening the door. The Japanese woman didn't come down here often since she preferred to use a katana, but every now and then she would make an appearance to chat with her friend while the latter was practicing her shooting.

"Can't get any sleep either can you?" the German woman guessed, turning back towards the target.

" _Hai,_ I cannot help but feel apprehensive about all of these recent developments. If what Maxwell said was true, then a completely new organization has come into play." Leaning against the wall, the sword-wielding nun fixed the back of her best friend's head with as stern glare. "I have also been worried about you…ever since Masaki Kurosaki's son was revealed to be working with Hellsing, you have been distracted."

Heinkel snarled. "Can you blame me?! You may not have known her as well as I did, but Masaki was one of the most amazing people whom God has allowed to walk on this Earth. She was kind, caring, and loving to all of those around her, and I'll be _verdammt_ before I let her boy go down a path of darkness. He's…he's the only family I have left…and I want to be there for him."

Yumie raised an eyebrow. "You do know that he has two little sisters as well, correct?"

"Of course I know, but that's completely different!"

"Okay okay, calm down…all I'm saying is that you don't need to worry. Father Anderson said that he would ensure that you would get your chance to speak with Ichigo, so it won't do you any good to run yourself into the ground obsessing over it, alright?"

Heinkel leveled a glare at the nun, which was equally returned, before finally relaxing and letting out a sigh. "Fine, I'll try to focus on other things."

Yumie smiled and patted her friend's shoulder. "Do not worry, if you and Ichigo are meant to reunite, then God will see it happen."

Despite that bit of reassurance, the blonde still felt the longing clawing at her heart.

* * *

Seras let out a shuddering breath.

Ever since the events of the previous evening, the blonde Draculina had vehemently refused to leave Ichigo's bedside. The orange-head was still unconscious, and even though Walter had assured her that her partner would make a complete recovery, Seras still wanted to keep a personal eye on him.

Her enhanced hearing enabled her to hear his steady heartbeat, and each peaceful exhale he let out felt like a wave of relief crashing into her. Reaching out carefully, the blonde gently placed a hand on Ichigo's chest, and watched completely transfixed as her hand rose and fell with each intake of air that filled his lungs.

"Please wake up Ichigo…"

"In due time, I'm certain he will."

Seras yelped and jumped slightly in her chair, before turning around to see a thoroughly amused Walter giving her a knowing smile.

"You have to understand Miss Victoria, young Master Ichigo has just been through quite the strenuous ordeal. Based on what Isshin Kurosaki told Sir Integra, the normal human body was not designed to contain the amount of power and energy we witnessed Ichigo use. The overload to his system was quite sudden, but all he needs is time to recuperate," the butler assured her.

The young vampiress smiled softly and turned back to look at her partner. "I know that, but…I still can't help but worry about him. Even though he's just an ordinary human, he pushed himself so far to protect us…well, even if he DID have a bit of help from Master."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence for several minutes, before Walter eventually decided to speak up again. "It may be none of my business Miss Victoria, but I think you should tell him."

Blinking in confusion, the blonde Draculina frowned and turned around once more. "What do you mean?"

The elderly retainer rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated huff. "Oh please spare me the act Seras…I've been around since before the second World War. Even in my advancing age, I can still clearly tell when someone is showing the signs of attraction towards another."

Seras' cheeks darkened and she stiffened briefly before letting out a resigned sigh. "Am I really that obvious…?"

Walter chuckled and shook his head. "Not to the untrained eye, no. And not to worry, based on what I know of Master Ichigo so far, he is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer when it comes to these kinds of things. You will most likely have to be the first one to take the initiative if you wish to pursue a relationship with him."

The blonde vampiress squirmed uncomfortably in her seat and turned marginally to glance at the peacefully sleeping orange-head out of the corner of her eye. "I don't know Walter…we haven't even known each other for that long, but I still feel…I don't know…really happy when I'm around him. He was there for me right after I was turned into a vampire and Master brought me home. He was there when Father Anderson attacked, and he was willing to sacrifice himself so that I could get away…"

Walter simply smiled kindly. "Miss Victoria, our line of work is one fraught with peril, and there is always a chance that our next assignment could very well be our last. Even though you are a vampire, and are thus far more resilient than an ordinary human, even you are subject to the possibility of death in combat. If I were you, I would make sure you lived the entirety of your life with absolutely no regrets."

With his input given, Walter quickly checked Ichigo's vital signs for any change before exiting the room with his signature polite bow.

Seras stared at the empty doorway for what felt like an eternity, before eventually smiling softly and turning back to look at her sleeping partner. "Maybe…maybe he's right. I don't know what it is about you Ichigo, but you aren't like anyone else I've ever met."

Looking around to make sure nobody else was in the area, the vampiress gently bit her lip before deciding to simply throw caution to the wind. Leaning forward, the blonde fledgling closed her blue eyes and planted a soft kiss on the orange-head's cheek.

Ichigo's brow creased slightly, but otherwise he showed no signs of movement.

Pulling away, Seras brushed a few strands of hair out of her face and looked down at him fondly. "You make me feel human…and right now, that's the sweetest thing any guy could do for me."

Going silent, she simply continued with monitoring his condition, while all the while completely unaware of the pair of crimson eyes watching her from within the shadows in the corner of the room.

* * *

"I hereby decree this meeting of the Soul Reaper Women's Association to commence!"

Situated around a low-legged table sat several of the most prominent female members of the Gotei Thirteen's various squads. Yachiru Kusajishi excitedly waved a fan around in order to gain her fellow members' attention, while Restu Unohana simply looked on in quiet contentment.

"Now that we're all here, what shall we discuss today?" The pink-haired Lieutenant questioned boisterously.

Nanao Ise's hand quickly shot into the air. "I have been meaning to bring up the issue of our rapidly decreasing finances for quite some time now, and I really think that this problem should be properly addressed as soon as possible."

A scoff sounded from the opposite end of the table, bringing everyone's attention to Rangiku Matsumoto. "Booooooooooring…we only meet once a month, and every time we do it's always to talk about something super serious! Why don't we have some regular girl talk for once?"

Yachiru frowned and cocked her head to the side. "What kind of stuff is that?"

Soi-Fon scowled and attempted to cut in, but Rangiku quickly slapped a hand over the Stealth Force Captain's mouth. "Oh you know, clothes, the World of the Living… _BOYS…"_ The Tenth Division Lieutenant let out a yelp when Soi-Fon bit into her palm.

Snarling, the dark-haired Captain huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "And what would be the point of that? The only thing men are good for is fighting, and even then they'll still most likely let you down."

Rangiku giggled and wiggled her eyebrows. "I don't know…I can think of a few things that boys can be pretty good for."

Soi-Fon's eyes widened briefly, and a blush illuminated her cheeks. Shaking her head, the wielder of Suzumebachi let out another huff and turned away. "No man could ever compare to Lady Yoruichi," she muttered under her breath.

No one seemed to hear her, and Rangiku turned her attention to the other woman sitting to her direct right. "What about you Isane? Any boys catch your eye recently?"

The silver-haired Lieutenant of the Fourth Division stiffened in her seat, and her face turned a dark shade of red. Quickly turning to spare a glance in the direction of her Captain, Isane coughed and shook her head in the negative. "N-No…I'm not interested in anyone right now…"

From directly across her, Kiyone snorted and attempted to stifle her giggles into her palm. "Oh don't listen to her, she keeps a journal under her bed filled with ALL kinds of stories about a special guy."

Isane's eyes widened, and she shot up from her chair. "Kiyone! Don't you dar-"

"And I quote: _'He entered into my room and swept me up into his arms. My face was pressed against his chiseled chest, and he placed a gentle kiss on top of my forehead. 'You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen…' he said softly, and reached up to lift my chin to force me to look directly into his deep brown eyes. Leaning forward, we both went in for a passionate kiss, and as his hands moved back down to caress my sides, my own reached up to clutch at his bright orange hair…'"_

"KIYONE!" The silver-haired woman screeched in absolute mortification, her face an almost atomic shade of smoldering red.

From her chair next to Yachiru's at the head of the table, Unohana brought a hand to her face and giggled slightly. "Oh my Isane…you never told me you held an interest in Ichigo."

The Fourth Division Lieutenant let out an embarrassed whine and sank down back into her chair.

Rangiku smiled knowingly and pattered her friend on the shoulder. "Oh, don't worry Isane, you don't have anything to be embarrassed about. He may be a bit prudish for my taste, but Ichigo sure as hell isn't anything to scoff at. Wouldn't you agree Nemu?"

Everyone in the room turned to the Twelfth Division Lieutenant, who herself barely batted an eye at the sudden increase in attention.

"Ichigo Kurosaki was in the prime physical condition for a male his age the last time I saw him. His Spiritual Energy was unlike anything I have ever witnessed before, and if Captain Kurotsuchi were to command it, I would not at all be opposed to the idea of procreating with him. His genes would provide for considerably powerful children," Nemu replied blankly.

The other women in the room gave her varying deadpan looks.

"Anyway…what do the rest of you think?" Rangiku questioned, turning back to address everyone else at the table.

Rukia simply shrugged. "He's not bad looking, but he's too much of an idiot for my taste."

Momo nodded in agreement. "Ichigo is handsome, but he's not my type either."

Soi-Fon scowled even deeper. "He's a compulsive, bull-headed, order-defying moron who doesn't know when to back down." Even so, the Soul Reaper Captain's cheeks turned a very light shade of pink.

Rangiku rolled her eyes and turned towards the one woman who had been uncharacteristically quiet throughout the entire meeting. "What about you Yoruichi? You know him a lot better than any of us aside from Rukia; surely you have at least some kind of relationship with him?"

The dark-skinned woman chuckled and gently shook her head. "Believe me, if I had any kind of romantic interest in that boy, it would have become fairly obvious quite some time ago. I may have teased him every now and then, but I always saw him as a student; nothing more."

Rangiku gave the Flash Goddess a long stare, before simply shrugging and leaning back in her seat. "Whatever you say sweetheart…"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes and stood up. "I do say, now if you will all excuse me, I need to be getting back home."

"Oh what? But we just got started!"

Brushing several strands of purple hair out of her face, the amber-eyed woman laughed and moved towards the door. "Well unlike some of you, I have another job to attend to. I'll see you all next time." The collection of women waved her off, and once she was out of Kuchiki Manor, Yourchi utilized Shunpo to quickly travel across the majority of the Seireitei to a suitable location to open up a Senkaimon.

Passing through the inter-dimensional gateway, the ebony-skinned woman almost instantly appeared back in her room at Kisuke's shop in the World of the Living. Letting out a sigh, she tiredly stripped out of her outer layer of clothing until she was clad in nothing more than a pair of black spandex shorts and her breast bindings. Reaching up, she pulled out her hair tie, which in turned caused a cascade of lavender locks to spill down her shoulders and middle back.

Sitting down on her bed, Yoruichi ran a hand through her hair and thought back to earlier.

' _Surely you must have some kind of a relationship with him?'_

"Oh Ichigo…" she muttered under her breath. "You reminded me so much of Kisuke back in our younger days. But my feelings for that man receded into a simple heartbroken friendship long before you were even born. I suppose I was just displacing my repressed feelings from the good old days into teasing you…"

Laying back on the bed, the purple-haired woman folded her hands under the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. "You were even more of a progeny than Soi-Fon…and at times even a better friend than Kisuke ever was. But now, you're an eighteen-year-old man, doing something out there in the world with your life. And I'm just some washed up old horn-cat, lying in bed and thinking about a boy who is young enough to be my great-great-grandson…"

Yoruichi let out a sad chuckle and rolled onto her side. "Oh God, look at me…I'm talking to the walls. Teasing you made me feel young again…but now…now I'm not sure exactly how I feel."

Slapping her cheeks gently, the former Stealth Force Captain rose from her bed and walked into the bathroom.

She really needed a nice, long, COLD shower.

After a good rinse, the Flash Goddess dried herself off and prepared for what she hoped would be a restful night's sleep. Unfortunately, the universe didn't seem to want to give her even the slightest of breaks.

Orange and purple danced within her dreams, and the sweet words and gentle caresses within that dreamscape only served to subconsciously chain her even more to the young man who had unknowingly captured her heart.

* * *

The moment Ichigo finally opened his eyes, he felt like he'd been run over by fifteen trains.

Letting out a mild groan, the Former Substitute rose from his bed and brought up both hands to massage his aching skull. The last thing he could even remember was running through the hallways of the manor and suddenly being able to feel an avalanche of Spiritual Energy. Everything after that was broken and fuzzy…

He could vaguely recall terrified yellow eyes and seductive red ones, but other than that he had no idea what had happened.

A soft noise drew his attention to his bedside, where he was surprised to see a clearly exhausted Seras sleeping with her top half resting on the bed itself. Dark circles were under her closed eyes, and it didn't look like she'd gotten any proper amount of sleep for at least a few days.

"That girl has absolutely refused to leave your side for the entire time you were recovering, even when I expressly ordered her to do so."

Ichigo's eyes snapped up to the doorway, where Integra was regarding him with a look mixed with irritation and relief. Entering the room, the dark-skinned woman came to a stop directly next to his bed where she spared Seras a brief glance before turning back to look directly at him. "How are you feeling Ichigo?"

The orange-head groaned. "Like I was just double teamed by Ulquiorra and Grimmjow…"

Integra raised an elegant eyebrow. "While I cannot claim to know to know who those individuals are, I can only assume that they are not people who you would voluntarily do battle against if you could help it. Allow me to fill you in on what happened…during the breach in the mansion's security, you metamorphosed into a mask-wearing creature and proceeded to soundly decimate any Ghoul you came across. You even managed to kill one of the Valentine Brothers leading the operation before regressing back into your present state. The security camera footage that we managed to salvage was simply incredible."

"I Hollowfied?!" Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief. "But that…that's impossible, I lost all of my powers after my fight with Aizen…"

Integra scowled. "Yes well, you can thank Alucard for that little development. Based on what my servant told me, he forced you to temporarily absorb a certain amount of his own Spiritual Energy, which in turn allowed you to transform. However, I would highly recommend that you refrain from attempting to duplicate this series of events, as the apparent strain in put on your physical body was almost too much for you to handle."

Ichigo remained silent for a while and simply stared down at the sheets, before eventually turning back up to look at his boss. "What were the casualties?"

The blonde woman's eyes softened, and she let out a sigh. "Nearly the entirety of the mansion's staff, as well as our security forces, were either immediately killed or subsequently turned into Ghouls. You and Seras took out the majority of the undead monsters, but as of this current moment our current numbers include yourself, myself, Walter, Seras, and Alucard. All of the staff members that survived the incursion have all requested for leave, and although that is unfortunate, I certainly cannot blame them."

Nodding in agreement, the orange-head attempted to rise from his bed, only to promptly let out a wince. Two hands quickly found their way to his shoulders, and Integra slowly pushed him back down onto the mattress.

"While your determination is admittedly admirable, you will do no good if you only aggravate your injuries even further," the blonde chided him in an almost motherly tone, which in itself was incredibly strange to hear.

The movement of the bed apparently disturbed Seras' sleep, and the young vampiress rose up and stretched while letting out a yawn that should have been far too adorable to even be considered legal. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, the fledging finally noticed that her partner had regained consciousness, and she gasped happily before all but flinging herself on top of him.

Ichigo howled painfully, but Seras simply continued to nuzzle into his neck and let out hysterically happy sobs.

"Ichigo! I'm so glad you're awake! I was so worried about you!" Her grip tightened even more, and the orange-head's face began to slowly turn a concerning shade of purple. He looked to Integra for help, but her amused smirk told him that this was some form of cosmic payback.

"Think of this as punishment for making us all worry," the older blonde woman chuckled lowly.

Seras continued to hug her best friend while letting out a series of pleased purrs, while Ichigo simply sagged into her arms and decided to simply accept his fate.

Hey, being hugged to death by an incredibly beautiful girl sure as hell wouldn't be the worst way to go, now would it?

* * *

 **Oh Ichigo, you lady killer you.**

 **Before anyone decides to give me crap for the scene with Yoruichi, keep in mind that more than one person can have feelings for the same individual. This doesn't necessarily mean anything will come of it; something might, but it also might not. There were plenty of guys in my old high school days who thought that this one girl was incredibly beautiful, but we didn't all end up dating her.**

 **Anyway, again I apologize for the lateness of this chapter, but between work, college, and being sick, I have only just recently found the time to complete this update. I hope you can all understand that my schedule will most likely stop being weekly for the foreseeable future, but I will still update as often as I possibly can.**

 **That being said, the next update will focus on "Desires of the Heart," and then I will finally get back to "A Trial by Heroism" and "Fibers of the Universe." I have also started to plan out what I truly believe will be a great replacement for the "Professor Kurosaki" rewrite, and I think you are all going to enjoy that when it comes out.**

 **Additionally, if any of you want to check out my bio, I have created a list of stories that I have planned for the future after the conclusion of my current ones. I suggest you all read through those and see what you think.**

 **In regards to this chapter, we get to see Integra dealing with certain issues, Heinkel gets some more time to shine, Seras makes a decision, and the Soul Society makes an appearance.**

 **Let's take a quick look at the pairing poll, shall we?:**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 27 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing: 16 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 10 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 8 votes**

 **Raynare: 7 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 7 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 7 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 6 votes**

 **Tiamat: 5 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 5 votes**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 3 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 3 votes**

 **I hope you are all pleased with this chapter, even if it was more of a filler than the previous one.**

 **Also, quick note, in case none of you knew, Katie Gray, who is Seras Victoria's english voice actress, has a phenomenal singing voice. You guys should check her music out.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Brothers in Arms

* * *

 **At the time I am writing this Author's Note, I am currently working on both this chapter, as well as the next update for "A Trial by Heroism."**

 **I know that I said I would focus solely on "A Trial by Heroism," but I had a strike of inspiration the other day for this story that I simply had to get down on text as soon as possible. Other major authors can probably relate to having this feeling sometimes as well.**

 **This chapter will expand the story's universe, and we will be introduced to several new characters from yet another series. See if you can guess what it is before the ending Author's Note.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **AlucardsBro Out!**

* * *

"Sir Integra, in light of your recent request to bolster our overall manpower in the wake of the attack, I have taken the liberty of contacting a group of professional mercenaries."

Integra internally scoffed. She had dealt with mercenaries in the past, and if there was anything she had learned from her previous encounters, it was that there was no such thing as a true professional merc. Mercenaries held no sympathy or care for any one cause, and would simply bite at the first opportunity they were presented with to make a quick profit.

"Mercenaries, Walter? Men who are simply motivated by an insatiable lust for money…can we trust such soldiers?" the blonde mused with a touch of sarcasm.

"Normally I would share you doubts Sir," the butler replied with a small smirk. "However, these particular men appear to be proper professionals; so long as they have a contract, and are paid the specified amount, the Wild Geese will never go back on their word."

The Hellsing matriarch remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. After several minutes of mulling over her options, Integra finally met Walter's gaze once again. "How soon can they be here? If I am to trust these men with the safety of my home and other field agents, then I want to at least be able to evaluate them personally."

Walter grinned a bit cheekily. "That's the beauty of it Sir, they're already here. I have them waiting for you down in the main lounge; Master Ichigo and Miss Victoria have been keeping an eye on them so far."

Smirking in return, Integra dusted off her suit and rose to her feet. "Well then, I suppose we should not keep our guests waiting any longer, now should we?"

* * *

Ichigo scowled.

He had dealt with many things over the course of his tenure as a Substitute Soul Reaper, ranging from Hollows, other Soul Reapers, and rogue maniacs bent on becoming their own twisted version of a god. As such, there had been many times when he had felt enraged beyond belief.

Yamamoto angered him because the old man was way too uppity for his own good, even if his actions were still in an effort to protect the Soul Society.

Grimmjow pissed him off due to both his cocky attitude and overall brutality.

Uryu was just really annoying.

However, the type of anger that he was currently experiencing was something unlike anything else he'd ever felt before. Sure, his basic overall character trait was that he wanted to protect those close to him, and he was well aware of that. But the kind of protective fury that was whirling around in his chest right now was somehow…different…than how it usually felt.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that a group of at least twenty men somewhere in their mid-twenties to early thirties were nearly all eyeing his best friend and field partner like a piece of meat…

Seras was fidgeting in clear discomfort, and several minutes ago she had maneuvered herself behind Ichigo in an attempt to block the varying stares she was receiving. The orange-head himself was giving the Wild Geese a glare so cold and fierce that it could have frozen every volcano on the planet.

Byakuya would have been proud.

"Oi, come on you _trou du culs;_ show the lady a little respect eh?"

Ichigo's eyes snapped to the man who had spoken, who was lazily sitting backwards in a chair with his chin resting on top of his arms. Reddish-brown hair was tied into and extremely long braid, and was wrapped around the man's neck and shoulders like some sort of comical noose. An Australian slouch hat was fitted on the top of his head, and an eyepatch obscured his left eye.

The former Substitute had a sneaking suspicion that he was looking at the leader of this group of assholes…

"I feel as though I must apologize for my idiotic friends, they have not seen such beauty in over a month," the man smiled in a relatively friendly fashion.

Ichigo remained stone-faced.

Seemingly undeterred by the cold shoulder he was receiving, the Wild Geese's leader continued speaking. "I am Pip Bernadotte, and this group of morons is the Wild Geese. But you probably already knew that, eh? Seeing as how your boss hired us and all."

Ichigo continued to remain silent.

Seras whimpered softly from behind him, sensing the mounting tension in the room.

Pip frowned and opened his mouth once again, but whatever he was going to say was quickly cut off when the doors to the lounge opened. In walked Integra Hellsing herself, with Walter dutifully following along behind her.

"Greetings gentlemen; seeing as how you all arrived without so much as a complaint, I will do you the courtesy of cutting right to the chase. We here at the Hellsing Organization do not deal with petty criminals, nor do we involve ourselves in international warfare. No, we are far more preoccupied with a much greater threat," the blonde smirked.

One of the mercenaries scoffed. "Oh yeah? And what might that be?"

"Why, the forces of darkness of course," Integra replied without so much as batting an eyelash. "Vampires, Werewolves, Ghouls…you will most likely experience combat with at least all of these monsters if you agree to work under my employ."

The Wild Geese remained silent for what seemed like an eternity before simultaneously bursting into roaring laughter.

Integra's smirk simply widened. "I understand that all of this might sound too fantastic to believe, but for those of you who require further convincing, I present to you a genuine vampire." With that statement, the blonde woman raised a hand and pointed directly at Seras, who was still attempting to make her presence scarce behind Ichigo.

"Wait…wait wait wait wait wait."

All attention in the room was drawn back to Pip when the Frenchman abruptly stood up from his chair and marched directly towards the blonde vampiress and orange-haired human. "You're telling me that this frail looking girl is an honest-to-god vampire?"

"Y-yes, I am…" Seras stammered shyly.

Ichigo merely growled.

Once again, the entirety of the Wild Geese erupted into laughter, and Seras shrunk even further behind her partner.

"Stop cowering behind Ichigo Police Girl; if you want them to stop laughing at you and start treating you with respect, them give them reason to doubt you no longer," Integra suggested calmly.

Ichigo felt the Draculina's grip on the back of his shirt tighten briefly, before she finally stepped out into the open once again and faced the mercenaries with a look of determination. "Yes Sir! You're right!"

Pip rolled his one good eye. "Oh come on now _chéri,_ if you're a vampire then I'm Frankenstein's Monst-"

The green-eyed man's words were almost immediately silenced when Seras closed the distance between them faster than he could see, before reaching out to flick him squarely in the middle of the forehead. The flabbergasted Frenchman was sent careening back a good ten feet or so, and his momentum was only halted when he collided with his comrades; they in turn were all staring at the blonde girl with slack-jawed expressions.

"W-what the hell?!"

"You would do well not to make assumptions based off of first appearances," a deep baritone voice resonated throughout the room, before none other than Alucard phased through the wall and fully stepped into view. "The Police Girl may be the lowest of the low, but a vampire is still a vampire."

The Wild Geese let out multiple gasps of terror, confusion, and downright disbelief.

The elder vampire let out an amused chuckle. "What a pathetic bunch of sniveling cowards…do you really think they'll be of any use to us? If these are the men who are to be guarding me while I sleep, then I want to take their measure personally…"

Integra raised an elegant brow. "I thought I told you to remain in your quarters?"

Alucard simply grinned toothily.

Coughing to gain the Hellsing matriarch's attention, Walter reached into his back pocket and fished out a letter. "I was going to wait to bring this to your attention after introductions had concluded, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. We received a post this morning from a rather curious sender."

Frowning, Integra took the letter and glanced at the seal on the front. "From Vatican Special Forces Division Thirteen, the Iscariot Organization. Signed and written by…Enrico Maxwell?!"

Ichigo and Seras both flinched at their employer's uncharacteristic outburst of fury.

* * *

"What time is it Walter?"

"It is currently just past three o'clock in the afternoon, ma'am."

Integra scowled. "They were the ones who arranged this meeting, and still they manage to be late…do you think it's a trap, Ichigo?" Turning towards the orange-head, who had been tasked with serving as her bodyguard during this little outing, the Hellsing matriarch raised an eyebrow in question.

Frowning, the former Substitute shook his head. "I doubt it; I might not know Iscariot as well as you two, but they'd have to be dumber than a rock to stage an attack in a public place like this, especially in broad daylight. That's just poor tactics," he replied, gesturing to the art museum around them in which this so-called meeting was supposed to take place.

Integra smirked appreciatively, and Walter nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly, Master Ichigo."

The sound of footsteps echoed from further down the hallway, and the three Hellsing agents looked up in time to see a rather tall man with long white hair pulled back in a ponytail approaching, along with another rather plain looking older gentleman.

The man with the ponytail smiled kindly and lowered himself into a polite bow once he was several feet away. "I do so apologize for our tardiness, so please allow me to introduce myself; my name is Enrico Maxwell, the head of the Iscariot Organization…it is an honor to meet you, Sir Integra."

Integra internally sneered. "I really don't care who you are, just tell us what you know about the intruders who attacked my compound and slaughtered my people."

Maxwell raised his arms in a gesture of placation. "There is no reason for such harsh words; we did not travel all the way to England to pick a fight with you, My Lady."

"I don't believe you! You have shown absolutely nothing but contempt for our treaties, and the latest incident with Anderson in Northern Ireland was absolutely inexcusable!" the blonde woman replied heatedly. "He killed two of my best men in Badrick, and I barely managed to escape with my head still attached!

"Would you just shut up already?!"

Ichigo's hand immediately went to _Manus'_ hilt on his back, and his eyes narrowed when Maxwell's kind and polite attitude crumbled away in a matter of seconds. He noticed the glimmer of Walter's microfilament wires out of the corner of his eye, but didn't acknowledge it any further.

"You really expect us to just let you do as you please?" the Italian man asked, his tone laced with incredible amounts of sheer disgust. "Two men? Even if he had slaughtered two million of your Protestant pigs I would not have shed a tear. I am only here under direct orders from His Holiness, otherwise I would not bother with you filthy creatures! So just shut up and pay attention, you miserable English sow!"

Ichigo let out an audible growl, and was about to draw his blade to defend his boss' honor, when a sense of utter foreboding washed down the hallway like a tidal wave of misery and suffering.

"A sow?" Alucard's deep voice echoed everywhere, while the vampire himself stepped through the wall behind the Hellsing group and out into the open. "Nothing like the Iscariot Organization to instill the fear of God in those who don't believe…such fearsome insults you spit. Two thousand years of your inane prattle is all I believe I can truly stand; although, I do suppose it is good to see that some things never change."

Maxwell smirked. "Ah, the great vampire Alucard, the Hellsing family's pet creature; I don't believe that I've ever actually seen you in person before. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Alucard's seemingly permanent condescending smirk widened. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, although now I must say goodbye. You call my master a sow and expect me to let you live?" As he spoke, the elder vampire reached into his cloak and withdrew the _Jackal_ before aiming it directly between Maxwell's eyes. "I'm afraid I'm just going to have to put a bullet in you, you foolish little man."

The Iscariot leader appeared to remain completely unconcerned, if the confident grin on his face was anything to go by. "Oh my, how can a simple ordinary man such as myself ever hope to cope with having a gun waved around in my face? I hope you'll agree that turnabout is fair play, so why don't we make this fight interesting? Come on out Anderson!"

Further down the hallway, behind the Iscariot group, the sound of metal scratching against metal and heavy footsteps sounded off, and none other than the Vatican's most dangerous agent appeared seemingly out of nowhere. "I shall break them with a rod of iron…I shall dash them in pieces…be wise now therefore, ye kings…be admonished ye judges of the Earth…serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling! Cast the son lest he be angry, though his wrath be kindled but a little…"

Maxwell's smirk slowly morphed into a look of apprehension, and he moved to block Anderson's path. The towering Exorcist barely acknowledged his superior's presence, and he pushed past the shorter man while keeping his gaze locked firmly on Alucard.

The vampire simply continued to smirk, and withdrew the _Cassull_ alongside the _Jackal_ before aiming them both directly at Anderson's head.

In response, the maniacal priest readied his blessed bayonets and adopted a battle-ready stance.

Ichigo slowly slid _Manus_ out of its sheath, and held the holy sword in preparation for any conflict that might arise. The tension in the air was so thick that the orange-head doubted even a full powered Getsuga Tenshou would be able to cut through it, and just when it felt like a fight was about to break out, the mood was ruined both spectacularly and ridiculously…

"Right this way everybody!"

An extremely chipper Seras suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wearing what looked like a tour guide's outfit, along with a group of about twenty elderly Japanese tourists. They seemed completely unaware that they were standing directly between an undead monster and a mentally unstable priest.

Ichigo nearly dropped his sword at the absolute absurdity of the situation. Had Integra actually planned for Seras to intervene? Where the hell did she get that outfit? And how in the world did she get registered so quickly in the museum's records enough to be trusted with a group of senile foreigners by the rest of the staff?!

Honestly, sometimes it felt like his life was an anime…

The interruption apparently had the desired effect, as Alucard reluctantly lowered his weapons. "This isn't the time or place for an all-out fight, it would seem."

Anderson's bayonets disappeared back into the sleeves of his overcoat. "Aye, you might have a point there…"

Turning around, the elder vampire walked away from the scene. "I'm going back to sleep; waking up in the middle of the day is utterly exhausting."

The Vatican exorcist turned to make his exit as well, although his paused briefly next to Maxwell. "If you'll excuse me Sir, I must really be getting back to Rome. I must say though, this truly is an excellent museum; perhaps next time you'll allow me to bring some of the children from the orphanage?"

The Italian man smiled weakly, and sweat dropped in relief. "O-Of course, that won't be a problem."

As both the Hellsing and Iscariot trump cards vacated the premises, Integra couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle. "It appears with both have to contend with unruly subordinates. Now then, are we done with this little game of 'mine is bigger?'"

Maxwell sighed in resignation. "Yes, I am quite done…perhaps now that the violence has concluded, you would like to join me in the café garden to discuss our business?"

As the two leaders of the opposing organizations made their exit, Walter, Ichigo, and Seras all let out various sounds of utter relief.

* * *

In the privacy of the café, Maxwell and Integra sat at a table in the middle of the courtyard.

"We at the Iscariot Organization are aware that you have been attempting to research a particular word in connection to your recent troubles," the Italian man began. "We also know that you have thus far been unsuccessful in uncovering anything of value."

"Yes, that is more or less true," Integra admitted carefully. "Before his death at the hands of Alucard, the individual known as Luke Valentine uttered a single phrase that has plagued us ever since…"

"Millennium, correct?" Maxwell smirked, drumming his fingers along the briefcase he had brought with him, which currently rested on the table. "Normally, this type of information would be handled by our more special operations oriented members, but we do have a bit of information regarding this 'Millennium' that troubles you."

Integra's eyes narrowed. "I'm sensing an impending 'but'…"

The white-haired man across from her let out an amused chuckle. "How right you are! Do you truly wish to possess these files? Do you want to know what we know?"

Being a very prideful woman, it took absolutely all of Integra's willpower to summon forth the words she knew that the Italian bastard wanted to hear. "Yes…please…"

The absolutely shit-eating grin that formed on Maxwell's face nearly made the blonde get up and leave.

Turning several knobs on the front of his briefcase, the Iscariot leader opened it up and placed a hardback folder on the table. An all too familiar symbol was etched onto the cover.

"Good Lord…" Integra breathed.

"Indeed, allow me to bring you up to speed," Maxwell replied. "The Millennium Organization began almost half a century ago, during the Second World War. Nazi party loyalists were preparing to flee from Germany; an extraction operation began just as Allied forces invaded the country. Understandably, they needed enough time to evacuate while still standing their ground long enough not to be considered traitors."

Pausing briefly, the amethyst-eyed man let out a sigh before continuing. "The majority of these party members and soldiers ended up in South America, where they found refuge with a considerable number of Nazi sympathizers."

Integra paused from her review of the folder to look up and raise an eyebrow. "Those survivors were the Millennium group, correct?"

Maxwell nodded. "Yes, that's right. Millennium also refers to the classified operation to move these individuals to South America, as well as the military unit that carried out the orders."

The blonde woman's eyes widened in a moment of absolute revelation.

"Ah, I see that you've just figured out how we know all this! That's right, we helped the Nazis do it!" the Italian man admitted freely. "The Vatican gave them full support and helped create the Millennium group!"

Several hundred feet away, yet while still being in earshot of Integra and Maxwell's conversation, two individuals listened in; completely unseen by the Hellsing and Iscariot leaders.

"Oh my, Herr _Major_ …" one of them, a tall bespectacled man chuckled. "It seems as though they are beginning to piece it all together; they know about Millennium."

The other man, a short and portly German, simply waved a hand in casual dismissal. "Piece it together, you say? No Herr _Doktor,_ they don't know anything about anything yet."

The Doktor grinned and cocked his head to the side in mock curiosity. "Is it my imagination, or do you seem to be enjoying this?"

"Enjoyment is hardly the word I would choose to describe this feeling," the Major chuckled. "I'm utterly _ECSTATIC!_ Giddy beyond comprehension with anticipation! Just think of the bloody struggle that awaits us; it will be the greatest struggle of them all!"

* * *

Ichigo, Seras, Alucard, and Pip all stood at attention before Integra's massive wooden desk.

"In light of some new information I have received regarding Millennium, I have decided to send both Alucard and Seras to South America," the blonde woman explained. "It would stand to reason that they would have no need to abandon a hiding place that has served them to well for nearly fifty years. Therefore, the two of you will be tasked with flushing them out and killing them; after you recover any available information of course."

The Draculina cast a glance in Ichigo's direction, which did not escape Integra's notice.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Gather whatever supplies you feel you might need and get ready for your flight," she ordered firmly.

Alucard bowed deeply before leaving the room. "As you command, my Master."

Seras looked as if she wanted to speak up, but after one final glance at her partner she relented and followed after the elder vampire. After the two supernatural figures had left, Ichigo cast a speculative look in his employer's direction. "I'm assuming you have something different in mind for us?"

The Hellsing matriarch grinned wryly. "Right you are. During the ride back to the manor, I received a call directly from her Royal Majesty's office. Apparently, the Japanese government has requested the Hellsing Organization's aid with a matter that appears to have been giving them trouble for quite some time."

Ichigo frowned; he wasn't aware that the Japanese general public knew about the supernatural. Even if it was simply the government who knew, it still basically put a big gaping hole in Soul Society's goal to keep the World of the Living ignorant of the supernatural world. Then again, vampires could be seen even by people who weren't spiritually aware.

Pip chose this moment to speak up. "Correct me if I'm wrong boss, but isn't the overall point of your organization to fight against monsters?"

Integra nodded in affirmative. "You are correct, Mister Bernadotte. Normally, we would not even give a random request like this a second glance, but the reports that have come out of Tobioka suggest that there are individuals running around the city with capabilities that far surpass those of any ordinary human. Japan may not be within our jurisdiction, but due to this personal request, along with the fact that Millennium has been making bolder moves, if there is even a one percent chance that these people in Japan are involved with that organization, then we have to treat it as an absolute certainty."

Leaning back in her chair, the blonde let out a sigh. "However, given that we don't have as much solid proof for this theory as we do for Brazil, I have deemed it safe for the two of you to accept this mission. I have already spoken with the Police Commissioner of Tobioka City over the phone, and he has agreed to lend two of his officers to accompany you in this case during the course of your stay there."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. He had only been to Tobioka once before, when he and his sisters were much younger and they'd been forced to accompany their Old Man to a medical conference. It had also been only three months after their mother had died…

He couldn't remember hearing about any major issues with crime in the city, aside from the typical gang violence and petty theft that infested every moderately-sized city on the planet. Admittedly, Tobioka did have a higher crime rate than the surrounding areas, but that was simply due to the fact that there was a well-established Yakuza hideout somewhere in the city. And wherever the Yakuza went, they were bound to draw in their rivals.

The orange-head's inner musings were interrupted when Pip slung an arm around his shoulder and pulled him in roughly. "Well, looks like it'll just be us young studs on an undercover mission eh? The ladies won't know what hit them!"

Integra rolled her eyes, while Ichigo let out a groan.

* * *

As it turned out, the eleven-hour flight from London to Tobioka was not as unbearable as Ichigo's first trip to England had been.

Integra had been kind enough to buy both him and Pip first class seats, and the service had been exemplary. Still, it was rather annoying that the self-proclaimed French ladies' man attempted to flirt with literally every stewardess that approached them.

Their weapons and gear had all been given the proper permits, so there had been no real issue at the boarding gate. Currently, the orange-head had changed into a plain white shirt with a black long-sleeved jacket over it, and a pair of blue jean pants to cover his lower half. Pip was dressed similarly, but for whatever reason he had been vehemently against the very idea of forgoing his hat.

A bump against his arm brought Ichigo's attention away from the window to his current partner. "Yeah, what is it?"

Pip simply grinned. "Oh nothing, just wondering if you had a special _Dame_ back home."

The former Substitute shook his head in the negative. "No, I don't have a girlfriend."

 _THAT_ certainly got a reaction out of the Wild Geese's commander, and Ichigo's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"So…Miss Victoria is available then? I'll admit, she caught me off guard with that whole vampire thing, but she's still quite the looker wouldn't you say? And can you believe the size of those ti-"

"No."

Pip raised a brow. "What?"

"Seras is not looking for relationship," the orange-head stated firmly.

"How can you be so sure _mon amie?_ I think I still have a pretty good chance of-"

"No."

"But…"

"No."

"Alright, alright!" The Frenchman relented irritably. "Hell, someone might get the impression that YOU want to take that chance…"

Ichigo grumbled under his breath and turned a light shade of red, prompting Pip to smirk triumphantly. "Did you read the case report that the Tobioka Police Force sent us?" the orange-head asked in an effort to change the subject.

Pip's expression went from joking to serious so quickly that Ichigo couldn't help but be impressed. " _Oui,_ as far as we know, this shadowy group of people seemingly prefers to operate under the cover of night. They are also typically comprised of five field members; four female and one male, yet there is occasionally a fifth woman who accompanies them. The ages of the members is all unknown, but based off of civilian reports and survivor accounts, the oldest of them appears to be somewhere in her mid to late twenties."

Ichigo nodded. "Right, and they've all got various weapons ranging from handheld pistols to damn anti-tank rifles. The one thing that I think is weird though is that nearly every encounter that the TPF has had with them seemingly indicates that they were trying to put down criminal operations."

Pip shrugged. "It's not all that uncommon for rival gangs to try and take out each other's businesses. But yeah, I agree with you; considering that one of them was able to lift a car with her bare hands, and another was able to cut through fucking steel with a katana, we can probably safely assume that they're not just ordinary criminals."

The rest of the flight went by relatively smoothly, but Ichigo still couldn't help but get the feeling that they weren't going to end up dealing with vampires. Millennium seemed way to organized and secretive to constantly send out operatives into the open, and there was little possibility that they would benefit from stopping sex traffickers or drug lords. Whatever the case might have been, these people were still dangerous vigilantes, and the orange-head wasn't about to let people like that continue to run around freely in his home country, especially now that he once again had the capabilities to put a stop to it.

After about another hour the plane landed, and the two Hellsing agents gathered their gear and disembarked the aircraft. Entering the main portion of Tobioka International Airport, the Japanese native and one-eyed Frenchmen looked throughout the crowd for their escorts.

"Miss Hellsing said that the representatives from the police force were supposed to pick us up right outside of the terminal, but I'm not seeing anyone…" Pip mused aloud, annoyance clear in his tone. Ichigo found himself agreeing; Japanese people were stereotypically considered to be extremely punctual, and for once he found himself wishing that was always true.

"Excuse me? Mister Kurosaki and Mister Bernadotte?" A distinctly feminine voice asked cautiously. The brunette and orange-head turned around as one, and each reacted quite differently.

Ichigo himself was at a near absolute loss for words. Standing in front of them was undoubtedly one of the most well-endowed women he had ever seen, and coming from someone who knew Rangiku and Harribel, that was definitely saying something. She wore a green turtleneck sweater without sleeves, with a white long-sleeved jacket covering that. A black business skirt covered her thighs and stopped just above her knees, while the rest of her legs were covered by black nylon stockings. Black high heels adorned her feet, and green-rimmed glasses fit snugly on her nose.

His was pretty sure Pip was outright drooling.

The orange-haired woman smiled pleasantly and reached out with a friendly hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you both; I'm Konomi Suzue, the representative from the TPF tasked with bringing you to your hotel."

Seeing how his French companion was still in a state of seemingly catatonic silence, Ichigo took it upon himself to accept the beautiful woman's handshake. "Nice to meet you too, but how did you know who we were?"

Konomi chuckled good-naturedly. "Well, Miss Hellsing told us in her call to look out for a young man with bright orange hair and a slightly older man with a strange hat, and seeing as how you two are the only ones I've seen so far who fit that description…"

Ichigo and Pip simultaneously sweat dropped, and an image of a smugly smiling Integra crossed through their minds.

Regaining his bearings, the leader of the Wild Geese frowned in confusion. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't we told that we were going to be accompanied by two officers from the TPF? Do you have an invisible partner?"

The former Substitute elbowed the Frenchman in the ribs, much to the older man's annoyance.

Konomi let out a slightly resigned sigh. "Yes well, my superior officer, Isoroku Tatara, was supposed to be here as well, but he got held up at the office. I'll just go ahead and warn you ahead of time…he can be pretty intense when it comes to the vigilante group we're going to be hunting."

"Why is that?" Ichigo frowned.

"Because these people have been managing to slide past all of our attempts to apprehend them for the past three years," Konomi replied. "It only got bad fairly recently, but Tatara has become absolutely obsessed with bringing them in. He can get pretty upset whenever the topic comes up, so you guys should be prepared for that."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, but Pip nodded in understanding. "I've seen a lot of good men become obsessed with their work; it consumes them almost entirely, even to the point where they begin to abandon all other aspects of their lives…"

Konomi shrugged. "Whatever the case may be, we can't allow it to affect our investigation. If Tatara won't cooperate, then we'll simply have to do everything without him. Now then, we best be going; you two need to get checked in before it gets too late."

* * *

After getting settled into their hotel room, which turned out to be the damn penthouse, Ichigo and Pip had accompanied Konomi to what she claimed to be her favorite local coffee shop in order to further discuss the details of their mission.

The green-eyed young woman pulled out a pathetically empty folder and placed it on their shared table, in full view of her male partners. "Based on accounts delivered by survivors of this vigilante group's attacks, they appear to refer to themselves as 'Black Label.' They very rarely target civilians, and their main focus appears to be on bringing down the numerous illegal activities and gangs all throughout the city. Normally, the police department would be grateful for this assistance, but Black Label seems to consider themselves as judge, jury, and executioner. They kill their targets without any form of a trial, and that kind of brutal judgement makes them criminals as well."

The former Substitute and Mercenary Leader both absorbed this information slowly while reviewing the scarce papers contained within the file Konomi had produced. Looking up from the documents, Ichigo decided to ask the question that had been gnawing at his mind ever since they had accepted this mission.

"We were told that at least two of the individuals in this group are capable of superhuman feats…is that true?" he questioned curiously.

Konomi squirmed awkwardly. "Well, I'm not really keen on acknowledging 'superhuman' abilities, but I'll admit that several reports of encounters with Black Label have been extraordinary. One woman seems to be capable of incredible feats of strength, and another was reportedly witnessed slicing directly through a car with nothing more than a seemingly ordinary katana."

Both Ichigo and Pip shared an amused look at the young woman's blatant disbelief in the supernatural, but neither chose to speak up on the matter.

"So, you have no idea where Black Label's base of operations is located, you haven't the slightest clue as to their identities, and there is absolutely no concrete pattern to their attacks aside from the fact that they strike heavy crime rings. Does that sound about right?" Pip drawled sarcastically.

Konomi flushed a light shade of red and coughed in embarrassment. "Y-yes, that's right…"

"Well then, how do you propose we find them?" the Frenchman asked with a raised eyebrow.

The orange-haired woman perked up, actually seeming to be prepared for that particular question. "We have a man posing as a member in one of the city's local gangs, and according to his information there will be a major drug and weapons trade at the harbor tomorrow night. Black Label would be going against absolutely everything we know about them so far to not show up to such a big exchange."

Ichigo scratched his chin in thought. He was all-too familiar with people acting as if their decisions were superior to those of absolutely everyone else. Central Forty-Six had always believed themselves to be more qualified than even the Gotei Thirteen when it came to passing judgement, and it seemed that Black Label was no different. "Is there any preference for their capture?"

Konomi nodded. "We would prefer to detain them if at all possible, but if not, we have explicit orders to kill them."

The orange-haired young man grimaced; he would prefer not to stain his sword with human blood, but if Black Label proved to be too big of a threat to the general populace, then he supposed he wouldn't really have choice.

* * *

Masamune Mochizuki was a simple man.

Well, perhaps not…but nevertheless, he still liked to think of himself as a promoter of the greater good. The wealth that he had amassed over the years had gone into bettering the community, and he had helped found local buildings such as the Mochizuki General Hospital, of which he was the current Chairman.

However, it had not been until the death of his beloved son that he realized that he had an even greater calling to answer. The world was polluted by despicable people who were only motivated by the prospect of personal gain, and who would do absolutely anything to reach their goals. Murderers, thieves, rapists…the list went on and on. These criminals continued to defile the planet, even despite the efforts of law enforcement.

Truly, they were tumors on society in every sense of the word…

"Doctor Mochizuki?"

Looking up from his desk, the wheelchair-bound man was welcomed by the sight of one of his most accomplished doctors, as well as one of his most lethal agents. Yuuko Sagiri was an incredibly well-endowed young woman of twenty-eight years of age. She was well respected within the hospital, and her kindness was rumored to know virtually no limits.

"Yes, what is it Yuuko?" Mochizuki questioned.

"Fiona has just informed me of what sounds like a rather large exchange between multiple gangs. The data she was able to gather suggests that this transaction will take place between nine and ten o'clock tomorrow night, near the harbor," the brown-haired woman listed off, folding her arms underneath her large breasts.

"I was made aware of that as well," the elderly man nodded in acknowledgement.

A small smirk tugged at the corner of Yuuko's lips, but she fought back the urge in favor of retaining a serious expression. "Do you wish for Ampoule One to intervene?"

Mochizuki remained silent for a brief period as he mulled over the information in his head. If rumors were to be believed, then this operation had the potential to be one of the largest criminal exchanges in Black Label's history. If team Ampoule One was successful in bringing down this operation, then they could finally be rid of several of the biggest names within the criminal underworld that had polluted this city for over five years.

The sickly man's eyes hardened, and he finally returned Yuuko's expectant gaze.

"As medical professionals, it is our duty to excise the tumors that plague this society. Don't you agree Doctor Sagiri?"

The busty woman smiled marginally, and leaned forward in a respectful bow. "As you command, Sir."

Leaving her superior to his solitude, Yuuko turned on her heel and proceeded to exit Mochizuki's office. Unsurprisingly, she barely walked twenty feet down the hallway before she was intercepted by one of her teammates.

As far as the general public was concerned, Sayo Hitsugi was simply the head nurse for Mochizuki General Hospital. The voluptuous bluenette was also the heavy hitter of Ampoule One, and her physical prowess was second to none.

"I take it the Chairman gave us the green light for the mission?" Sayo asked, although her tone labeled it as more of a statement than true question. The excited grin on her face also gave away her knowledge of the answer.

Yuuko smiled in return, and gave an affirmative nod. "Yes, Doctor Mochizuki has labeled these tumors as black, and ready for removal. I was just on my way to contact Oriha, and I would appreciate it if you would inform Mikoto and Arashi as well."

The busty nurse waved a casual hand through the air in acknowledgement. "Sure thing boss lady. Aw man, I can't wait to bust some heads!"

As Sayo walked away, Yuuko couldn't help but shake her head in a small measure of amusement. The bluenette's enthusiasm was certainly commendable, but that often translated to sadism and unnecessary brutality in the field. Even so, that never stopped her from getting the job done, so there was so real reason to reprimand her too harshly.

Shaking her head, the well-endowed doctor continued on her path.

Black Label had a surgery to prepare for.

* * *

 **And thus ends the Introductory Mini-Arc, which transfers into the Triage X Mini-Arc.**

 **Overall, I have at least two major Arcs planned for this story, which in turn will be filled with a multitude of various Mini-Arcs. The only reason I label them as such is because of the change in focus.**

 **And yes, the additional series that I have decided to include is** _ **Triage X.**_ **Despite the fact that it is largely meant to be an ecchi series, I could see the possibility of the Hellsing Organization suspecting that Hitsugi and Yuuko might be vampires. They weren't certain though, and that's why they took the risk of only sending two human agents to deal with the threat.**

 **Besides, as an Englishwoman, Integra can't really refuse a direct request from the Queen.**

 **Governments assist each other all of the time in the real world, and they do so with the idea of future favors in mind. So, it really isn't too much of a stretch to suggest that the Japanese Government requested Hellsing's aid, especially since they deal with possible and confirmed supernatural threats.**

 **Now then, I'd like to address a question that I seem to be getting quite often in the review section. As I've said before, the Quincies WILL appear in this story, but their involvement hasn't come yet. Be patient, and you shall be rewarded in time.**

 **And don't worry everyone. Once Ichigo and Pip's adventure in Japan has concluded, I will devote some time to writing Alucard and Seras' expedition in Brazil; that is simply too major of a plot point to ignore. I just thought it would be both humorous and good for character development to have our favorite Strawberry and Frenchman have a little bonding period of their own.**

 **In order to avoid confusion for anyone who has not watched or read** _ **Triage X,**_ **Black Label is the name of the secret organization that operates out of Mochizuki General Hospital. Ampoule One is the name of the team that carries out the missions. Oh, and get ready for a lot of medical references…**

 **Pairing Poll:**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 30 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing: 18 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 11 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 9 votes**

 **Raynare: 8 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 7 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 7 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 7 votes**

 **Tiamat: 6 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 5 votes**

 **Rip Van WInkle: 3 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 3 votes**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the longer chapter.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Conflict That Yet Arises

* * *

 **Like I said last chapter, I am currently on a roll with this story; that's why this update is coming out so quickly after the last one. "A Trial by Heroism" is still being written, but I am having to put more thought into it after such a long time away from the story.**

 **As some of you can probably tell by the chapter title, Ichigo and Pip will come into contact with Black Label, and there is no telling what the impact of that will be.**

 **Just a heads up, there will be a multitude of line breaks later on in the chapter. They will be used to indicate a change of scene or perspective.**

 **I will save any further information for the ending Author's Notes, so I hope you all enjoy!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

"Remind me again how you knew about this place?" Pip asked, taking another swig from his bottle of imported German beer.

Both he and Ichigo were currently sitting in an open-air restaurant on the nicer side of Tobioka City. Konomi had been called into the Police Station earlier in the day to review some new data concerning some local crime lord, so the two Hellsing agents had been left to their own devices until the arranged time of the stakeout.

Finishing the roll of sushi he was chewing, the orange-head swallowed before answering. "My dad brought me and my sisters here a long time ago. We were in town because some old friend of his called him in for a last-minute medical conference, and he made it up to us by taking us here to eat."

Leaning back precariously in his chair, Pip raised an eyebrow in interest. "Your old man is a doctor, eh? Can't really claim to know what that's like myself; my folks were killed by terrorists when I was just a brat."

Ichigo frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that…"

"Eh, don't be," the Frenchman waved a hand in dismissal. "Pop used to beat me with his belt, and my mother was usually too drunk off her ass to do anything about it. Enough about me though, I want to hear more about your trip to Tobioka."

"Why?" Ichigo snorted.

"Call me curious; besides, we need to kill as much time as we can before the mission tonight."

"Fair enough. Like I was saying, my dad was called in by an old friend from the local hospital for an emergency conference. He never told us what they talked about, and while they were in the meeting, a young doctor kept an eye on us. I can't really remember any specifics, but I do remember that she was really patient with my little sisters. She even let Yuzu sit in her lap while she read to us from books in the waiting room."

Pip grinned wryly. "Cute. What was her name?"

"I…I honestly don't remember," Ichigo admitted, scratching the back of his head in slight embarrassment. "Anyway, when my dad came back he had a teenage girl with him. He told us that she'd been through some pretty major shit, and that she needed a place to stay for a while. She actually ended up living with us back in Karakura Town for over a month."

"Well? Do you remember _HER_ name?" The Frenchman teased good-naturedly.

"Of course I remember!" the former Substitute snapped, although there was no real heat behind the action. "I may have only been eight years old, but you don't have someone live with you for that long and not remember them. Her name was-"

The sudden ringing of Pip's phone cut Ichigo off, and the mercenary offered his partner an apologetic look as he fished the device out of his pocket. "Bernadotte here! How can I be of…yeah…slow down woman! Yeah, I'll be over there in a minute…" Letting out a sigh, the one-eyed man downed the final remnants of his drink before pushing back his chair and standing up.

"What's wrong?" Ichigo asked.

"Some chick from our hotel went in to clean our room and apparently freaked out when she saw all of our gear. Detective Suzue is already on her way to clear everything up, but she wants me there too to help explain things."

"Do I need to come with you?"

"Nah, I got it covered kid," Pip assured his partner, while ignoring the younger man's indignant glare at being referred to as a kid. "You sit tight and finish your lunch."

Ichigo offered the brown-haired man a flat look. "Why do I get the feeling that you just want me to stay here to cover the bill…?" The only answer he received was in the form of the Frenchman's laughter, and soon enough the leader of the Wild Geese was gone, leaving the orange-head alone.

After several long minutes of eating in silence, the sound of footsteps caught the former Substitute's attention. He idly noticed a man sit at a nearby table, but he didn't acknowledge it any further.

A waitress came by to take the man's order, and shortly after that silence reigned once more.

"Rough week?" the man suddenly asked, and Ichigo glanced at him over his shoulder in a gesture of politeness.

"Yeah, you could say that."

The stranger laughed jovially, and the orange-head found himself smiling slightly as well. "Yeah, we've all been there kiddo. Just a piece of advice though? It doesn't get any easier with age."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ichigo chuckled, before returning his focus to the meal in front of him.

"Then again…I suppose things would be a lot easier if you still had your Soul Reaper powers."

The chopsticks in Ichigo's hand fell to the floor, and he whirled around with wide eyes. The strange man simply looked back at him with an amused smirk.

The former Substitute's expression of shock quickly turned to anger, and he shot up from his chair and stormed towards the smug bastard. "Who the hell are you, and how do you know about that?!"

"Calm down Ichigo," the man snorted. "You don't want to make a scene now do you? That would be bad for the Hellsing Organization's reputation…why don't you just take a seat, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Slowly, the orange-head cautiously lowered himself into the chair across the table from the stranger, all the while leveling a ferocious glare at the man. "Okay, now talk."

"Kids these days sure do lack manners…fine, my name is Kugo Ginjo. As for how I know about you, let's just say that we have a lot more in common than you might think," the man, now identified as Kugo, said dramatically.

Ichigo scowled. "What do you want with me?"

The older man laughed. " _WANT?_ I don't _want_ anything from you. Let's just say that we have a mutual scruffy blond friend who has agreed to pay me and my associates a handsome sum of money in exchange for lending you a helping hand."

That certainly came as a surprise.

"You know Kisuke?" the orange-head asked, slight disbelief lacing his tone.

"That I do," Kugo grinned. "And before you ask, no I am not from Soul Society. I am just as human as you are, and so are the rest of my comrades. We simply have some pretty special 'gifts' that let us interact with the rest of the Spiritual World."

Ichigo hadn't really expected any assistance from Soul Society in the first place; although Hat-n-Clogs definitely helped them out from time to time, he still wasn't technically associated with them. As far as he knew, Kisuke, Tessai, and Yoruichi solely operated out of the shop back in Karakura Town, and they did so under their own jurisdiction. But still, they _WERE_ Souls inhabiting highly advanced Gigai.

Kugo didn't seem to be lying about being human, and Ichigo prided himself on his ability to sense stuff like that. There were only three other people in the world that he knew of who retained their humanity while still possessing supernatural abilities. He had no idea where Chad's powers came from, and Orihime's ability was specifically restricted to her. The only other explanation he could think of was…

"You're a Quincy, aren't you?" the former Substitute asked.

Kugo blinked exactly three times before bursting into tear-inducing laughter. "A-A-Am I a…a Qu…a Quin-Qu…HAHAHAHAHAHA…oh God, that's rich!"

Ichigo slumped in his seat and turned a light shade of red. "What the hell is so damn funny?!" he growled under his breath.

Wiping the moisture from his eyes, the dark-haired man finally calmed down enough to form a solid response. "No, I am most definitely not a Quincy. Although Quincies are indeed humans with supernatural abilities, my associates and I are something else entirely. We call ourselves Fullbringers."

Frowning, Ichigo attempted to peruse his brain for anywhere he might have heard that word before. Nothing came up, so he decided to simply ask. "What the hell is a Fullbringer?"

Grinning widely, Kugo launched into a very enthusiastic explanation. "A Fullbringer is a rare individual that occurs when a human is attacked by a Hollow. Nothing really happens to the actual person who is attacked, but small traces of the Reiryoku of the Hollow that attacked them remains in their body. This energy is then passed on to their first child that is born, and then later manifests into physical abilities reminiscent of that Hollow's powers. Make sense?"

The former Substitute nodded in understanding. He had already been eight when Grand Fisher killed his mother, so that meant that she must have also been attacked by another Hollow at some other point in her life.

His inner musings were interrupted when Kugo continued speaking. "Let me be perfectly clear Ichigo, I cannot give you your Soul Reaper or Hollow powers back, but I _CAN_ teach you how to unlock your Fullbring. It won't be as powerful as your old abilities used to be, but it will still definitely give you an advantage over standard Hollows and Ghouls, and possibly even low-level vampires."

The young man frowned in apprehension. Kugo claimed to know Kisuke, and he believed him; he also seemed willing to go to the trouble of helping him access this 'Fullbring' ability, even though they didn't even know each other at all on a personal level. Ironically, that was also why he was so hesitant to accept the older man's offer. "You barely know me, aside from whatever I'm assuming Hat-n-Clogs told you, so why do you care so much about my ability to fight…?"

Shrugging, Kugo rested an arm over the back of his chair. "Honestly, I really _don't_ care. Urahara already paid me and my friends just to approach you with this offer, so I'm happy with my situation just as it is. The decision is up to you; would you prefer to continue fighting as you are now, and run the risk of being unable to protect one of your comrades, or would you rather be able to fight evenly by their side?"

Ichigo's eyes drifted to the surface of the table, while the faces of several people drifted through his mind. Yuzu, Karin, Orihime, Chad, Uryu, Integra, Walter, Seras, and even Pip. They were all his friends, and he would fight until the very end to protect each and every one of them. Still though…he wasn't sure it was a good idea to trust someone he'd met barely five minutes ago on such an important matter. Besides, he was pretty preoccupied with the whole business regarding Black Label.

Seemingly sensing the younger man's unease, Kugo reached into his jacket and pulled out a card. "You don't have to make a decision right now, but I'd prefer if you do so while you're still in the city. If you decide that you want to accept my offer, just call the number on the card."

Accepting the small laminated piece of paper, Ichigo read the number several times. Looking up, he saw that the Fullbringer had already stood up and was walking away.

His eyes drifted down to the card once more, and he flipped it over to reveal a single word on the back written in black print.

' _Xcution.'_

"Um…sir?"

The orange-head's attention was drawn up to a waitress, who was standing next to him awkwardly. "Someone is going to have to pay for your friends' drinks…"

You know what? Fuck Fullbringers, and fuck Frenchmen…

* * *

An hour later, Ichigo finally arrived back at the hotel. Pip was in the lounge, watching what looked like Brazilian Beach Volleyball on the massive flat-screen television; what a surprise…

Walking into the large kitchenette, the former Substitute poured himself a glass of water before plopping down next to his temporary partner. "Did you get that whole deal with our gear resolved?"

"That's the weirdest thing," the mercenary replied, turning to give Ichigo his full attention. "Konomi was the one who called me, right? Well when I got here, she said that the hotel staff had no idea what we were talking about, and that no one had been assigned to come clean our room…"

Ichigo frowned. "So someone called Detective Suzue and issued a fake complaint? That means that whoever did it already had knowledge of what kind of equipment we had up here, and knew we would be concerned enough to get over here as quickly as possible to resolve the misunderstanding."

"That's what we thought too," Pip nodded. "The TPF did a sweep of the area to try and find any shady looking characters, but nothing turned up. They decided to drop it for now, but they're still keeping an eye out just in case."

As the Frenchman turned his attention back to the tight clothing and oiled up bodies on the TV screen, Ichigo couldn't help but think how convenient the timing had been when Pip had been called to the hotel. Kugo had appeared seemingly out of nowhere not even three minutes after his partner left. It was almost like he…like he knew Pip would be called away…

Son of a bitch.

Unfortunately, before he was able to voice his frustration, the door to the penthouse opened up, and in walked Konomi Suzue. The orange-haired detective spared Pip's chosen form of entertainment a brief disapproving glare before plopping down next to Ichigo while letting out a sigh.

"Any news?" The former Substitute asked his fellow orange-head.

Resting her head on the back cushion of the couch, the young woman closed her eyes. "On Black Label? No, not any more than what we already know. But, I _WAS_ able to find out what exactly is being exchanged at the drug trade tonight."

Turning off the television, Pip also gave Konomi his full attention.

"You two are probably unaware of this, but there has been a major issue in Tobioka City for the past few months regarding the illegal importation and distribution of a highly potent drug known as Platinum Lily," she explained, clear exhaustion filling her tone. "If it is taken in small doses, the major effect that Platinum Lily has on an individual is that it quite literally strips them of nearly all cognitive sensations aside from the absolute need for pleasure. It basically transforms sensible and intelligent people into nothing more than mindless dolls who are unable to tell the difference between pain and pleasure…"

Ichigo's eyes widened in disbelief.

" _Merde…"_ Pip swore.

"It gets even worse; overuse of the drug in too large of a dose almost always results in an immediate death," the detective continued grimly.

"And that is what's being traded tonight?" Ichigo questioned.

"Yes, according to our undercover operatives. Black Label is still going to be our top priority to focus on, but we also have a separate team preparing to confiscate all of the Platinum Lily," Konomi replied, before grimacing and reaching up to massage her temples. "Hey, do you guys mind if I take a quick nap? I was up all night reviewing the reports on Platinum Lily and Black Label; I would really appreciate it…"

The young woman startled slightly when Ichigo rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. My room is the first one down the hallway on the left."

Smiling gratefully, Konomi slowly rose to her feet and trudged in the direction Ichigo had told her. It was only when the bedroom door closed that Pip turned to his partner with an absolutely shit-eating grin plastered across his face.

"What?"

"Technically…you just got a woman into your bed."

"Fuck you," Ichigo snorted.

"No thanks, I don't swing that way _mon amie,"_ the Frenchman shot back cheekily.

His response came in the form of a high-speed pillow nailing him directly in the face and sending him tumbling over the side of the couch.

* * *

Nearly halfway across the city, Kugo Ginjo walked down a desolate alleyway.

Although he would have definitely have preferred to establish Xcution's new hideout in the nicer part of town, that would have unintentionally had the effect of drawing unwanted attention towards himself and his comrades. And, despite the fact that they all argued and cursed at one another on a near daily basis, Kugo considered them all his friends. Besides, it was a boss' job to look after his subordinates to the best of his ability.

Coming to a stop next to the door of a seemingly abandoned warehouse, the Fullbringer turned the knob and entered the building. His ears were almost immediately assaulted by the sound of extremely loud feminine arguing.

"Well excuse me for wanting to get out of this damn place every now and then Jackie!"

"Oh don't give me that Riruka; you just wanted to go with him to meet that Ichigo kid…"

"T-That's not true! I just wanted to see the sights!"

"Will both of you just shut up already?" Kugo groaned in a slightly raised voice, which served to draw the attention of both young women involved in the argument.

Jackie Tristan was a twenty-three-year-old, dark skinned woman with straight, chin-length black hair and brown eyes. She currently wore a dark brown long-sleeved low-cut shirt, along with form-fitting trousers and her typical knee-length boots.

Riruka Dokugamine, on the other hand, was nearly the polar opposite of her older teammate. Where Jackie was calm and collected, Riruka was loud and outspoken. Where Jackie was…uh… _gifted…_ in certain physical areas, Riruka was considerably less endowed. The eighteen-year-old magenta-haired girl let out a huff and turned away, seemingly declaring her part in the discussion over.

Ignoring her immature friend, Jackie cocked an eyebrow. "Did you find him?"

"Of course I did, this is _ME_ we're talking about here," Kugo snorted. "I told him about our offer, but he was understandably skeptical."

"I don't blame him," a young blond-haired boy spoke up from across the room. "He was probably thinking you were some suspicious character bent on either mugging or harassing him…"

"I'd shut up if I were you Yukio," the Xcution leader growled. "Unless of course you want me to smash that precious little game you're so obsessed with."

Yukio glared back at him briefly, before turning back towards his handheld.

Sitting at the hastily-constructed bar, Kugo reached over the counter and grabbed a small bottle of sake. "Either way, I'm fairly confident that he'll come around eventually, but whether or not he actually does so before going back to London is another matter entirely…"

* * *

With only two hours remaining until the time the mission was set to start, Ichigo and Pip had both agreed that it would be a good idea to contact Integra and inform her of everything they had learned. Konomi had caught up on enough of her rest that she felt good enough to join them.

Currently, the blonde woman's upper torso took up the entirety of their massive television's screen.

" _I see…although it is certainly disappointing to learn that this 'Black Label' holds no connection to Millennium, I still would like to commend you both for remaining dedicated to the assignment. Your cooperation will most definitely increase good relations between the Japanese government and that of England's,"_ she praised her agents, a minuscule smile forming across her face.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Ichigo dipped his head slightly in a show of respect.

Integra nodded back at her subordinate before turning her attention to Konomi. _"I do not believe we have ever been properly introduced Detective Suzue; it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."_

The orange-haired woman bowed politely in the typical Japanese fashion. "It's an honor to meet you as well, Miss Hellsing."

Focusing back on her agents, the Hellsing matriarch adopted a look of seriousness. _"I expect the both of you to represent the Hellsing Organization to the best of your ability tonight. Whatever you may encounter, and no matter who you might face, I want you both to return home triumphantly; am I understood?"_

"Yes Ma'am!" Ichigo and Pip responded simultaneously, and with equal measures of conviction.

Smirking in satisfaction, Integra's eyes drifted to the corner of the room, where both mens' suitcases were resting on the floor. _"I went ahead and took the liberty of having Walter construct some facial coverage masks to hide your identities while you are in the field. I expect you both to wear them. Please contact me when your mission has concluded."_ With her piece stated, the Englishwoman ended the call, and the screen went black.

Turning to his partner, Ichigo raised a brow. "Did you know that she packed us extra equipment?"

Shaking his head, the Frenchman stood up and walked over to inspect the contents of their luggage. " _Non,_ but masks will definitely be useful. The TPF will be able to differentiate between us, Black Label, and whatever gang members are there. Now then, let's take a look at these bad boys!"

Opening the nearest case, labeled 'HLW MSK', Pip excitedly viewed the contents within. His excitement quickly morphed into utter confusion. "What the hell…?"

Both Ichigo and Konomi curiously moved over to see what had garnered such a reaction from their comrade. They both reacted quite differently.

"Well…they certainly look…interesting…" the orange-haired detective offered awkwardly.

Ichigo simply let out a grumble.

Resting within the case in Pip's hands were two bulletproof replicas of his Hollow mask.

* * *

Within the confines of their secret underground headquarters located beneath Mochizuki General Hospital, Black Label was undergoing a debriefing.

Their mission, while potentially more dangerous and risky than any they had ever undertaken previously, also held the potential to prove more rewarding than anything else they had ever accomplished. If Ampoule One was successful in destroying a significant amount of the Platinum Lily drug, then it would mean less of the potent substance would fall into the hands of those who might misuse it.

"As I am sure you have already been informed, the risk that this surgery carries is only overshadowed by the difference we have the chance to make tonight," Fiona Ran Winchester, the information specialist of the team, explained. "There will undoubtedly be a considerable number of armed criminals at the exchange, so I caution all of you to be alert and aware of your surroundings."

Yuuko listened silently. On the outside, she was calm and composed, but internally she was mentally preparing herself for the battle she knew was sure to come. There would no doubt be law enforcement officials stationed at various points surrounding the drug and weapons trade. Black Label's informant within the TPF had assured them that the police force would mainly focus on the exchange, but apparently, they had also called in an unknown number of specialists for another purpose.

And if the officers were meant to focus on the criminals, there was only one plausible reason for outside assistance to be called in…

The well-endowed doctor's eyes turned subtly to regard the rest of her team, each of whom was listening intently.

First, there was Miki Tsurugi. Miki had been her very first partner, and both of them had attended medical school together; they had even acquired their official medical licenses on the same day. If there was anyone Yuuko trusted with her life, it was the violet-haired anesthesiologist.

Then there was Sayo. Along with Miki, the hotheaded blue-haired nurse had been part of Black Label's original team, Ampoule Zero. She preformed her job flawlessly, both in the field and in the operating room. Having a close combat specialist such as Hitsugi always made her feel more prepared for any situation that might arise.

Smiling softly, Yuuko turned towards the newest additions to their organization.

Oriha Nashida, their resident demolitions expert, was only fourteen years old. Even so, she possessed a truly genius-level intellect, and the cheerful young girl had even managed to enter college when she was only eleven. Still, despite her professional attitude in the field, Oriha still most definitely had her moments when she acted her age. This particularly showed in her obsession with sweets and stuffed animals.

Mikoto Kiba, despite her status as the heir to the local branch of Yakuza, did not allow her family life and personal problems to reflect in her performance during Black Label's assignments. The high school senior did have a slight tendency to be unnecessarily foul-mouthed, but aside from that she did not possess any truly noteworthy negative character traits.

And finally, there was Arashi Mikami.

Based on what she had been told by both Doctor Mochizuki and Hitsugi, Arashi had been best friends with Mochizuki's son, Ryu, all the way up until the time of his unfortunate death. They had even been together at the exact same time when the terrorist bombing that took Ryu's life occurred. The only reason that Arashi was still even alive was due to the transplants he had received from Ryu's corpse.

In a way, Yuuko supposed that the young man honored his fallen friend's life by using the life he gave him to remove the tumors from society.

Clearing her train of thought, the brunette tuned back in to the debriefing just in time to hear Fiona's final warning.

"Like I said, our major goal tonight is to destroy the supply of Platinum Lily and take down as many criminals as we can, but I caution you to all to keep your guards up," the blonde secretary warned seriously. "We can all assume that a fairly large amount of the police force will be there as well to disrupt the exchange, so you would all do well not to get yourselves caught or killed in the crossfire."

Mikoto scoffed. "The cops have never even been able to come close to catching us before; they don't stand a chance of doing it now either."

Miki frowned. "Arrogance often leads to self-destruction Miko…besides, if our inside information is correct, the TPF called in an unknown number of new operatives. They are most likely tasked with keeping an eye out for us."

The younger silver-haired girl flushed slightly at the light scolding, but nodded in understanding nonetheless.

Chuckling softly at her subordinate's embarrassment, which ironically only served to heighten it, Yukko turned on her heel and walked towards the exit with her sword resting securely at her hip. The rest of Ampoule One was quick to follow, each donning their traditional gear.

Hitsugi's metal gauntlets were drawn up to her elbows, and the busty nurse's excited smirk quickly disappeared behind her devil mask. Two mini-guns were strapped snuggly at the holsters on her hips.

Miki loaded several cartridges of anesthetic darts into spare pouches lining the belt wrapped around her waist, while filling actual rounds into her precious sniper rifle.

Oriha hummed a happy tune as she gave her various explosives one final evaluation. She would be operating from a distance due to her inexperience in close combat, and Miki had volunteered to keep a special on her.

Both Araski and Mikoto each pulled on their bulletproof motorcycle helmets, while also giving their respective handguns a last-minute overview.

Everything was in order, and Ampoule One was prepared to begin their mission.

It was time for a surgery.

* * *

"I apologize for my earlier absence, it's a pleasure to work with the two of you," Isoroku Tatara said politely, shaking both Pip and Ichigo's hands.

The veteran TPF officer had finally seemed able to pull himself away from his work at the station, and was currently sitting with the two Hellsing agents, along with Konomi, in a state-of-the-art armored van. There were teams of snipers stationed along the roofs of numerous buildings on either side of the dock, but a clear path from the city had been left unguarded as an invitation for Black Label.

The actual drug exchange itself had already begun, but with the number of police officers surrounding the oblivious criminals, there was next to no chance that they would all be able to escape. Now all that was left to do was to wait for their special guests.

After introductions had concluded, Pip immediately began inspecting all of the equipment in the van like a kid in a candy store.

"Damn, this really is some really top of the line hardware! I don't think I've seen anything this advanced since that time back in Cairo…"

Tatara laughed, moving over next to the Frenchman and clapping a hand on his shoulder.

"You've got good taste my friend! We at the TPF always try to stay as up to date on technological advancements in the criminal investigation field as much as we possibly can."

As the two tech-heads continued exchanging compliments that were far beyond his level of understanding, Ichigo suddenly became intimately aware of how close he was to Konomi when his fellow orange-head's breasts lightly pressed against his arm. The detective seemed completely unaware, and simply offered him a small smile.

Damn women and their huge boobs…

Attempting to ignore the soft and supple flesh of his newest partner, Ichigo closed his eyes and attempted to mentally prepare for the mission. During their earlier debriefing by the chief of the TPF, he had been told that he would be tasked with combating at least two individuals from Black Label.

His most dangerous target, according to alleged reports, was a well-endowed woman with long white hair. She was also the one who supposedly wielded the katana capable of slicing through steel and concrete.

Lovely…

However, Konomi had stressed that he was only to engage this woman if absolutely necessary. His main target was to be a devil mask-wearing woman with long blue hair, who mainly used a mixture of physical strength and mini-gun fire in combat. Apparently, she was classified as being less dangerous than the sword-wielder, but she was still extremely powerful.

He could not afford to take either of them lightly if he came across them. If it came down to it, he sincerely hoped that there was still some of Alucard's residual Spirit Energy floating around his body from the incident at the manor. That would certainly be useful in a dire situation.

Pip, on the other hand, had been assigned to deal with two individuals who were typically sighted wearing bulletproof motorcyle helmets. One was allegedly a female, and the other a male. The Frenchman had accepted the assignment with a smile.

The crackling of static over the radio caused Ichigo's eyes to snap open.

" _Ground Team come in, this is Rooftop-01."_

Tatara quickly snatched up the radio. "Go ahead Rooftop-01."

" _Several of our men have spotted at least three individuals moving across the rooftops between our stationed areas. We have been unable to get clear physical descriptions of the newcomers, but I'd say it's safe to bet they're our special guests."_

The veteran officer smirked. "Copy that, do not attempt to intercept unless they make a break for it. We'll let our Special Operations Team take it from here."

" _Roger; we'll set up a larger perimeter and then initiate radio silence. Over and out."_

With that, the radio went dead. Tatara turned towards Ichigo and Pip with a wide grin on his face. "Well boys, you're up. Let's hope that special request to England was worth it."

Nodding, Pip strapped multiple weapons to various parts of his person, ranging from a short-bladed machete to a rapid-fire handheld.

Ichigo made sure _Manus_ was secured safely in its sheath and the pistol strapped to his thigh was in working order. Heh, maybe Seras' training would pay off tonight. Just as he was about to stand up and exit the vehicle, a hand lightly touched his shoulder. Turning around, he was greeted with the sight of an anxious Konomi.

"Just…don't die you two," the young woman pleaded softly.

Ichigo nodded with a small smile.

As the orange-head and the Frenchmen exited the van and donned their masks, Pip held out a closed fist. Ichigo smirked and bumped his own against it.

"What is it the Americans always say? Oorah."

* * *

With another swing of her blade, another mobster's life was extinguished.

Flicking her blade to the side to clear it of blood, Yuuko, with her hair now white as snow, brought a hand up to the communicator in her ear. "I've taken out ten more; how are the rest of you faring?"

" _This is a piece of cake,"_ Hitsugi's voice sounded off. _"These grunts barely even know how to hold a weapon, let alone use one."_

" _I agree, they are extremely poorly trained,"_ Miki replied.

Shaking her head in amusement, Yuuko switched to another frequency. "Arashi, Mikoto, have you confiscated the Platinum Lily yet?"

" _Not yet,"_ the young man responded. _"There's a lot of guys guarding it, but we'll just have to wear them down."_

"Understood, keep me-"

The sound of something whistling through the air was the only warning Yuuko received, and she rolled to the side just in time to avoid a blade carving through the space her head had just occupied. Narrowing her eyes as she returned to her feet, the well-endowed woman quickly analyzed her would-be assailant.

He was fairly tall, more so than Arashi. Black armor covered most of his physique, and a strange white mask adorned his face. Spiky orange hair peeked out from behind said mask, and the doctor couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

How curious. She had only seen hair like that once before.

"I am going to assume that you are one of the special-forces operatives hired by the TPF to combat Black Label…is that correct?" she asked cooly, adopting a battle-ready stance.

The man across from her merely cocked his head marginally to the side. In lieu of answering, he too sunk into a traditional swordsman's stance before blasting forward.

Yuuko smirked.

He was fast. But she was most definitely faster.

The English longsword and Japanese katana met in a shower of sparks, and both combatants pressed against one another with every ounce of strength they possessed. The mystery swordsman faltered briefly, and Yuuko took that opportunity to spin around and deliver a shattering kick to his right side, sending him careening into a shipping container.

* * *

Okay…OW.

Grimacing, Ichigo pulled his bruised body from the warped metal of the container. Not even two minutes into the confrontation and he was already feeling a considerable amount of pain. But that did not by any means suggest he was out of the fight.

Raising his head, the orange-head's eyes widened, and he dove to the ground just in time to avoid being sliced in half. The white-haired woman's blade easily cut through the shipping crate as if it were nothing more than cardboard, and Ichigo backpedaled several dozen feet to put as much space between them as possible.

This woman was easily nearly as physically powerful as Alexander Anderson. Not quite, but very close.

He had barely come out of _THAT_ fight alive, and even then, he had considerable backup. Now however, Pip was off closing in on his own targets, and he would be unable to rely on the Frenchman for additional support.

Time for some maximum effort.

Tearing her sword from the crate, the Black Label operative turned to regard Ichigo with a small amount of admiration in her eyes. "What you lack in physical strength and speed, you more than make up for in reflexes…I am impressed. I will offer you one chance to get out of my way. You are not labeled black, and therefore there is no need for you to die. I recommend you leave now while you still can."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed behind his mask. Disadvantage or not, he still had a job to do. Sinking into yet another stance, the former Substitute prepared for yet another charge.

The well-endowed woman let out a disappointed sigh, and adopted her own stance. "So be it…"

Both sword-wielders sprung forward, and began exchanging a multitude of blocks and swings.

Ichigo felt like his arms were on fire. It was taking all of his past training to even keep up with this woman, and she didn't even seem to be giving it her all. What he wouldn't give for a Seras or an Alucard right about now…

Forcing her on the defensive, the orange-head lashed out with his foot and caught his opponent in the knee. She cried out in what was more likely surprise than any actual pain, but nevertheless Ichigo took the opportunity to slam _Manus'_ hilt directly into her nose. She staggered back several paces, but before the former Substitute could land a strike she flipped away and landed once more on her feet.

He really didn't want to kill her, and even though he doubted he actually could, Ichigo figured the best way to win this fight would be to simply wear her down. Hopefully his stamina was greater than her own.

The white-haired woman surged forward once more, and Ichigo danced around her strikes before ducking and rolling away. She followed him, and her sword carved a clean path through the concrete in pursuit of its prey.

* * *

Pip vowed to never have kids.

His targets were quite obviously still young, and he honestly wouldn't be surprised if they were both around Ichigo's age. Even so, despite their inexperience, they were still proving to be quite the annoyance.

It had been easy at first; he had waited for the two of them to clear out all of the mobsters before making his presence known. They had apparently been extremely focused on obtaining the briefcase the men had been guarding, and if her were a betting man, which he occasionally was, Pip was willing to assume that there was some pretty major shit in the case.

And so, he had made it his personal priority to confiscate the case after he had apprehended his targets.

That last part had turned out to be annoyingly more difficult than it ever had the right to be.

Having abandoned the motorcycles they had arrived on back at the harbor, the two Black Label agents had instead taken to the rooftops. Pip had been able to follow them easily enough, and he was more than physically fit enough to keep up with them. He had even given the sniper team the signal to stand down and let him handle it without getting unnecessarily messy.

He was sincerely starting to regret that decision.

The brats were extremely capable hand-to-hand fighters, and Pip had acknowledged their abilities by refraining from resorting to his own weapons. Unfortunately, there was two of them and one of him, so keeping track of the both of them was getting a little tiresome.

Oh, and the girl had just drawn a pistol. How adorable.

Lunging forward and slightly to the side, the French mercenary avoided her initial shot and tore the gun from her hands before slamming it into her temple. The silver-haired young woman crumpled like wet paper; unconscious.

Hearing a muffled yell of rage from behind, Pip dodged to the side just in time to avoid a punch from the girl's partner. Grabbing the boy's outstretched arm, he flung the unfortunate kid over his shoulder, where he crashed into a rooftop ventilation grate.

Rolling his shoulders and popping his neck, the leader of the Wilde Geese prepared to finish this little dance. "I'll admit kiddies," he snorted, "I haven't had to actually try this hard in years. You've got spunk, and I can respect that; unfortunately for you, you're on the TPF's naughty list."

Reaching down to pull the boy upright, the Frenchman was caught completely off guard when the kid lunged forward and stabbed a decently-sized knife into his thigh, all the way up to the hilt. Letting out a pained curse, Pip was once again caught unaware when the boy tackled him, sending them both over the edge of the roof. Fortunately for them both, their combined momentum propelled them completely across the narrow street below and through one of the windows of the abandoned adjacent building.

Kicking the brat away, Pip idly noticed that they were in the bathroom of a rundown apartment.

Dodging another strike, the Frenchman lashed out with his foot and caught the younger man squarely in the stomach, sending him smashing through the dingy bathtub. "Give it up kid, I've been in much worse shit than this. It's over!"

The Black Label agent let out an angry snarl, muffled by his helmet, before charging forward yet again. Pip dodged the incoming strike and pushed the kid away, causing him to bounce off the wall and directly back into the mercenary's fist, which lodged itself just below his kidney. Not giving him any time to recover, Pip grabbed the back of the boy's helmet and used all of his strength to smash his face into the wall, sending chunks of plaster and shards of broken tile everywhere.

Falling to his hands and knees, the kid scooped up a shard of tile to use as a makeshift knife. Having been in the business for quite a while, the Frenchman could easily tell that the boy's anger was beginning to cloud his rational process of thought, which made the swipes with the broken shard easy to dodge even with his injured leg.

Grabbing the kid's wrist when he lashed out again, Pip pressed his other hand under the kid's elbow. He then pushed in opposite directions. The Black Label agent let out a muffled agonized sceam of pain, and there was an audible crack.

Pulling away roughly, which only served to aggravate his now broken arm, the kid attempted to land yet another blow with his other fist.

Well, at least he had guts…

Pip grabbed the incoming punch and spun around before letting go of the kid and sending him flying face-first into the bathroom's sink, shattering it to pieces in the process. The boy's helmet took most of the impact, as well as most of the damage, and he collapsed to the floor.

He weakly reached for the pistol strapped to his waist and shakily pointed it at the Frenchman, only to see that the mercenary had already drawn his own weapon.

Pip cocked the gun, letting out a pained sigh. _"Au revoir, mon ami…"_

A shadow fell across the room, and a gunshot echoed through the building.

* * *

Yuuko's head snapped in the direction of the gunshot.

It was so far away that she was unable to determine the type of caliber fired, so it was impossible to tell whether or not it had been Miki or one of the TPF officers. Leaping to the side and deflecting another swing from her orange-haired opponent, she raised a hand to the communicator in her ear. "Miki, did you just fire a shot?"

" _No, and it wasn't Sayo either!"_

Swearing under her breath, the white-haired swordsman pushed away from yet another swipe aimed at her sternum. "Sayo, can you hear me?"

" _Aye aye Boss Lady!"_

"I need you to take over for me here; I want to go find Arashi and Mikoto. I haven't heard from either of them in far too long."

"Can do!"

Both Yuuko and her fellow swordsman simultaneously looked skyward, just in time to see a rapidly approaching Sayo Hitsugi careening towards them like a falling star. Cocking her right fist back, the blue-haired nurse _SLAMMED_ into the ground with enough force to shatter all of the surrounding concrete and kick up a mid-sized dust cloud.

Before he could recover, Hitsugi lashed out and smashed her fist into the masked man's gut. He made a hacking sound, and specks of blood flew out from under his mask. The power behind Hitsugi's punch sent him soaring through the air and over several shipping containers until he finally crashed back to the ground.

Turning to regard her superior, Sayo gave Yuuko a thumbs up. "Go check on the runts, I got this."

Nodding, Yuuko sprinted off in the direction she had heard the gunshot.

The sound of footsteps caught Hitsugi's attention, and the masked nurse turned back to face her new opponent. He was now walking with a painfully obvious limp, and his left arm hung uselessly at his side.

The bluenette had to admit he was tough, and normally she found the combination of guts and strength attractive in a man. Unfortunately for this particular man, he would most likely be leaving the harbor in a body bag.

He raised his sword with his one good arm and pointed it directly at her.

Hitsugi smirked at the blatant challenge. Flexing her gauntlet-covered fingers, she let out a roar and charged forward.

* * *

It felt like he was fighting a fucking train.

Ichigo coughed up more blood as the new masked woman's fist was planted firmly in his stomach, and he retaliated by slamming _Manus'_ hilt directly in the center of her chest. She hardly flinched.

Both of her fists came up and delivered a devastating series of right and left crosses to his face. The white-haired woman before her had been insanely strong, but that was partly due to her combat technique. The woman fighting him now simply charged in with nothing but her fists, and soon enough Ichigo realized why there was no pattern to her attacks.

She was so physically powerful that she didn't even need a technique…

Throwing himself to the side just in time to avoid a swipe that would have undoubtedly separated his head from his shoulders, the orange-head quickly brought up his sword to block a devastating downward kick. The force behind the action was strong enough to crack the concrete beneath him, and Ichigo grit his teeth against the almost overwhelming pain.

An armored knee caught him in the chin, which snapped his head up directly into the path of a downward elbow strike.

"Looks like the Doc already wore you out…too bad," the masked woman snorted. "I'll admit that I'm impressed you were actually able to hold out against her for as long as you did, but I'm not like her. I have a nasty tendency to cut loose…"

Ichigo felt her grip the front of his armored clothing, and he was dragged up so that they were mask-to-mask.

 _Manus_ slid from his grip and clattered to the ground.

The woman cocked her right arm back before smashing her fist directly into the center of his mask with enough force to actually crack the bulletproof material. She did so again and again, and each time the cracks continued to spread.

"Sorry about this dude, you weren't even on the list," she said. "But you got in our way, and that was a really big fucking mistake!"

With one final punch, Ichigo's mask shattered into a countless number of pieces.

"Time for you to…W-what?!"

Despite his slipping consciousness, the former Substitute was still able to hear the dramatic change in her tone. What had once been cocky and arrogant was now shocked and horrified.

The last thing he saw before darkness overwhelmed him was the woman reaching up to remove her own mask.

* * *

"I-Ichigo?!"

Sayo threw her mask to the side, determined to see whether or not her eyes were playing tricks on her. They were not. He was definitely older, but the young man in her grasp was still most definitely the same eight-year-old boy she had met all those years ago.

"No…no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Sinking to her knees, she frantically pressed her ear against his chest. His heartbeat was terrifyingly weak, and his breathing was shallow and wheezing. There was undoubtedly severe internal damage to his system, and being the medical professional that she was, Sayo knew her old friend would not survive the night if his injuries went untreated.

Tears started to pool in the corners of her eyes.

Sayo Hitsugi had only cried a handful times in her life, at least that she could remember, but the fact that she could be responsible for Ichigo's death felt like a white-hot knife in her chest. Especially after what he had done for her, even if it had been ten years ago…

Her hand shakily rose to her communicator, and she frantically switched to Yuuko's frequency.

" _Hitsugi? Are you alright? I have Arashi and Mikoto, so we shoul-"_

"Yuuko! I need you here RIGHT NOW!" she screamed as the tears began to fall, and she cradled her friend's broken body against her chest as she rocked back and forth.

" _Are you alright?! Did that man injure you?!"_

"Just get here…please!" Hitsugi sobbed.

She didn't even register whether or not Yuuko said anything else. Her attention was solely focused on the young man in her arms, and she buried her face in his blood-soaked hair as she continued to rock back and forth.

"I-I'm so sorry…"

* * *

"You haven't heard from either one of them?" Tatara asked.

Konomi shook her head as she paced back and forth nervously. "No, and I haven't heard anything from our rooftop teams aside from the fact that Mister Bernadotte ordered them not to interfere with the pursuit of his targets."

"I'll admit, that was one of my poorer ideas…"

Both officers whirled around towards the speaker, who turned out to be none other than a severely injured Pip Bernadotte. The Frenchman had most definitely seen better days, if the bandaged wound on his left thigh and the still-bleeding laceration across his chest were of any indication.

"Pip!" the well-endowed detective cried joyously, and moved to embrace her friend. She was only stopped when the mercenary weakly held out a hand.

"Normally, I'd be all about letting a beautiful woman rub herself against me, but I sincerely doubt you want to get a bunch of blood on your clothes. Besides, I am honestly in a good deal of pain right now…"

Tatara and Konomi gently guided their comrade to the closest squad car, where they eased him down onto the hood. "What happened to you? Where's Kurosaki?" Tatara questioned.

Pip coughed harshly before answering. "I was nearly able to take out the two kids I'd been assigned, but then some crazy fucking strong bitch with white hair and a sword jumped in and kicked me around like a rag doll. It wasn't one of my prouder moments…"

"That was one of Ichigo's targets…do you think he's…?" Konomi trailed off, clear worry in her voice.

Tatara sighed grimly and clenched his fists. "We'll do a thorough sweep of the area; he might just be injured and unable to move."

"Sounds like an idea…" Pip chuckled groggily, and his eyes began to close and he slumped forward. He was quickly caught by Tatara, who gently slapped him back awake.

"Keep him conscious," he instructed Konomi. "I'm going to go lead the search. We may have apprehended an incredible number of criminals tonight, but if we lost a good man in the prime of his life, I don't know if it'll have been worth it…"

The orange-haired young woman nodded, and sat next to Pip, who was already starting to doze off again. She shook him gently, and he slowly sat back up.

Satisfied, Tatara walked away to gather a search party. It would be extremely bad if an English operative, not to mention a Japanese citizen, died on their watch.

* * *

"God damn it! Fucking shit motherfucking son of a cunt!"

Kyoji Tobishiro was not in a good mood. In fact, he was quite possibly enraged beyond belief. Damn the cops, and damn Black Label for taking away his precious Platinum Lily! What did they even need it for?! He was the one actually using it!

His scantily-clad maids cowered in various corners of the room as he continued his tirade. Such well-trained pets they were…

He knew that he was the direct opposite of physically imposing, but he had them terrified nonetheless. They knew that if they spoke up or mouthed off to him in the slightest, he would fill their system with so much Platinum Lily that they would become his happily obedient and mindless fuck-toys for the rest of their pathetic lives.

Standing silently next to the door, his personal attendant, Goryu, attempted to placate him. "Do not fear, My Master; we suspected that this might happen, so I took the liberty of ordering a second shipmen-aah!"

Her head snapped to the side when Tobishiro slapped her directly across the face.

"Shut up you worthless slut! I'm the one who makes the big decisions around here! Or did you forget that the only reason my father gave you to me was to be my personal toy?" Smirking cruelly, he reached out and began to roughly and shamelessly grope Goryu's large breasts.

The ninja woman internally grimaced. She was a sadomasochist, and she would freely admit to that if asked. The kind of treatment that she received from Tobishiro, on the other hand, was nothing but utter abuse. She had always envisioned a man who would hold her tenderly while at the same time punish her with a firm hand; not forcefully take her until he was satisfied.

She hated her current life, but she had no choice in the matter.

She was nothing more than property…a thing to be used…

Her Master gave her breasts a final painful squeeze before letting go and backing away. "It's too bad I have a meeting in just a few minutes, otherwise I'd choke you with my cock. Make sure the new shipment gets here to me on time, or _YOU_ will be the one I blame!"

"Yes Sir…" Goryu replied softly as he walked away.

* * *

 **Holy crap.**

 **This is by far the longest thing I have ever written, for enjoyment or otherwise.**

 **Well then, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. We got to see our Hellsing heroes go up against Black Label, and although it didn't turn out so well for them in the end, some interesting revelations still came to light. How many of you expected that?**

 **I decided to make Pip a bit of a badass due the simple fact that he is a mercenary, and as such he would understandably have advanced training in all forms of combat, be they hand-to-hand or with firearms. And just to clear up any possible confusion, Pip fought against Arashi and Mikoto, while Ichigo took on Yuuko and Hitsugi.**

 **Oh yeah, and Xcution showed up. Go figure.**

 **And yes, Ichigo and Sayo know one another. They simply didn't recognize each other due to the masks, and even though Hitsugi spoke quite a bit, a person's voice can change significantly over the period of ten years; especially if they were really young. I had already planned for this development to occur well before I wrote last chapter, and I definitely expected people to ask whether or not Yuuko and Hitsugi would be added to the pairing poll. And boy did they ever, especially through PMs. I'm just surprised nobody has given Konomi any love.**

 **Just for shits and giggles, I'll go ahead and add Yuuko and Sayo even though I have most of the story already planned. I want to see how many people like them.**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 31 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing (Scowl TM): 20 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 11 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 9 votes**

 **Raynare: 8 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 7 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 7 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 7 votes**

 **Tiamat: 6 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 5 votes**

 **Yuuko Sagiri (Sexual Healing): 5 votes**

 **Sayo Hitsugi (Friends to Lovers): 5 votes**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 4 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 4 votes**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this insanely long chapter (by my standards anyway), and I hope you stick around to see what happens next time!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Acts of Kindness

* * *

 **I am honestly surprised at how much love both Sayo and Yuuko have gotten. I suppose I really shouldn't be, given how "plot-friendly" they are, but regardless they are both gaining popularity within the pairing poll.**

 **On a side note, it has come to my attention that some people think the Triage X Mini-Arc is dragging this story downhill. If you are one of the individuals who feels this way, that is certainly unfortunate, but I can assure you that it is necessary to the overall story. The characters introduced in this Arc will continue to appear throughout the story, so it was highly necessary to portray a way for them to become involved in the plot. I am not going to stop writing out what I have planned just because a few people are becoming disappointed or impatient.**

 **This chapter will be largely comprised of a flashback, which delves into how Ichigo and Hitsugi met and how their relationship blossomed. It wouldn't really make sense for me to just say "oh yeah these two know each other" without giving you guys a bit of history.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

In all honesty, Yuuko had never thought she would see Ichigo Kurosaki again.

The last time she had, he had been little more than a child; she herself had only been eighteen-years-old. She had especially never thought she would be forced to preform an emergency operation on him, but here they were.

Currently, the orange-head was sleeping somewhat peacefully in the Intensive Care Unit of Mochizuki General Hospital. She had been able to stabilize his critical condition just in time to prevent the failure of several of his internal organs, and although he was still in the yellow zone, Yuuko was fairly confident he would pull through. It would just take time.

After the surgery had concluded, she had instructed Miki to inform the TPF of the young man's whereabouts. Their cover story was that several civilians had found Ichigo's body, and had proceeded to contact the hospital. The police had seemingly bought it, and just earlier today he had received some visitors in the form of a long-haired Frenchman and Detective Suzue.

Looking up from the clipboard in her hands, the busty doctor's eyes travelled to the woman sitting at Ichigo's bedside.

Ever since he'd come out of surgery, Hitsugi had absolutely refused to leave the boy's side. It was fairly obvious that guilt was eating away at her insides like a ravenous parasite, and although Yuuko couldn't really blame her for feeling that way, it wouldn't do anyone any good in the end. Neither of them could have ever expected that they were actually fighting him the entire time.

"You should get some rest," she advised her subordinate.

Hitsugi merely let out a pathetic sound mixed between a laugh and a sob. "How could I even try? I'd never be able to fall asleep knowing I'm the one who put him in here…"

Yuuko shook her head. "I am just as much to blame for his injuries Sayo; you cannot hold this solely against yourself."

Hitsugi choked. "Kinda hard not to…"

Gently laying a hand on the bluenette's shoulder, the well-endowed doctor attempted to reassure her. "He has always been a strong young man; I could see that even when I met him all those years ago. I have the fullest confidence that he will pull through in the end."

Closing her eyes, Sayo gave the unconscious young man's hand a firm squeeze. She certainly hoped Yuuko was right, or she would never be able to forgive herself…

* * *

 _(Flashback: Ten years ago; three months after the death of Masaki Kurosaki)_

"Daddy? I'm hungry."

"I'm sure we'll be able to find you a snack when we get there Yuzu," Isshin assured his daughter. "Just a few more minutes, I promise."

The four-year-old little girl pouted, but remained silent nonetheless. She shared the backseat of the car with her twin sister Karin, and their older brother Ichigo. The Kurosaki siblings had been forced to accompany their father to Tobioka City due to the fact that he had been unable to find them a babysitter in time, but he had promised that if they behaved themselves he would take them out for a treat later once his business at the hospital had concluded.

Casting a brief glance in the rearview mirror at his children, Isshin smiled. They really were good kids; he could see so much of Masaki in them with each passing day.

Turning off of the main road, the dark-haired man pulled into the parking lot of Mochizuki General Hospital. It had been a considerable number of years since he had even heard from ol' Masamune, so when he had received a phone call the previous day from his old friend asking him to come to Tobioka City as soon as possible, Isshin had definitely been surprised.

The man's tone had sounded gravely serious, and he had even said that it was unsafe to discuss what he wanted over the phone.

After a few minutes of searching for a suitable parking spot, Isshin finally stopped the car. Turning around in his seat, he regarded his children with a serious expression. "You guys remember the rules?"

Ichigo nodded. "Hold each other's hands outside, and stay where you can see us unless there is someone else there."

The former Captain grinned and reached out to ruffle his son's hair, much to the eight-year-old's annoyance. "Atta boy! Alrighty then, let's get going."

After getting the twins out of their carseats, the Kurosaki family walked hand-in-hand across the parking lot towards the main building's entrance. Walking through the automatic sliding front doors, which Yuzu and Karin found incredibly interesting, Isshin ushered his children along and approached the front desk.

Getting a clear look at the receptionist, the former Captain couldn't help but snort in amusement. She barely looked seventeen!

The blonde-haired girl looked up from her computer and regarded the Kurosaki family with a polite smile. "Good morning, my name is Fiona Ran Winchester; how may I be of assistance?"

"I'm Isshin Kurosaki; Masamune Mochizuki called me yesterday and asked me to come in as soon as possible," he replied with a grin.

Glancing back down at her computer, Fiona typed in a few keys before nodding. "Ah yes, Mister Kurosaki…Doctor Mochizuki is waiting for you on the sixth floor. I would be happy to show you the way."

"That's alright, I think I can find it," the dark-haired man smiled, before pulling his gaggle of children along towards the elevator. Ichigo simply took everything in stride, but Yuzu and even Karin were starting to complain about wanting a snack. Better get this over with as soon as possible…nobody wanted to be around for a double tantrum.

Riding the elevator to their destination, the Kurosaki family stepped out and were almost immediately greeted by two individuals. One was a man with slightly greying shoulder-length hair, and the other was a brown-haired young woman who looked to be somewhere in her late teens.

"Isshin, it has been far too long; thank you for coming on such short notice," the man smiled, reaching out to shake the patriarch's hand. "I was so sorry to hear about Masaki…"

Isshin returned the gesture with a solemn smile of his own. "I appreciate it Masamune…I'm sorry to hear about your son as well."

The other man nodded grimly before turning to the children. "And who are these young ones?"

The former Captain's sad smile quickly morphed into one full of pride. "Allow me to introduce to you the next generation of Kurosakis! My boy is Ichigo; don't let his adorable little scowl fool you, he's truly got a heart of gold!"

Ignoring the orange-head's cry of indignation, the goofy man continued with introductions. "And these two lovely ladies are Yuzu and Karin. I doubt you'll ever find someone sweeter than Yuzu, and I believe Karin is well on her way to becoming the greatest soccer player this world has ever seen!"

Both girls blushed uncomfortably and hid behind their father's legs. Ichigo simply crossed his arms and scowled.

The young woman accompanying Mochizuki giggled softly and stepped forward to introduce herself to the kids. "Hello there, my name is Yuuko Sagiri; those are some lovely names you all have."

Yuzu and Karin rewarded her efforts with small shy smiles, while Ichigo turned a shade of red reminiscent of his namesake.

Laying a hand on Isshin's shoulder, Mochizuki began to lead him away. "Don't worry, when you informed me of the possibility of your children accompanying you I took the liberty of asking Yuuko to keep an eye on them. Everyone in the Children's Ward absolutely adores her; she'll take good care of them."

Casting a final glance over his shoulder, Isshin's doubts were immediately squashed upon seeing Yuzu already recounting one story or another to the young doctor, with Yuuko nodding along with a patient smile adorning her face. Karin was standing right next to her sister, while Ichigo was a little off to the side.

They would be perfectly fine in her care.

Turning back to his fellow medical practitioner, Isshin raised a curious brow. "I hope you'll forgive me for sounding hesitant, but what is this all about? I haven't heard from you in over thirteen years, and when I finally do, it concerns something so serious that we couldn't even talk about it over the phone."

Mochizuki sighed. "Do you remember the D99 virus?"

Isshin froze before whirling on his old friend with a horrified expression. "Tell me you didn't…"

The older man shook his head. "No of course not, but it appears as though not all of it was destroyed like we originally thought."

Coming to a door, the head doctor punched in a series of digits into the keypad. The door unlocked, and both men entered a dark observation room. The far wall was comprised nearly entirely of one-way glass, and viewed a seemingly normal examination room. Sitting on the bed in the center of that room was a young girl, who had her arms wrapped around her knees and a stuffed rabbit held securely in her grip.

"As you know, the D99, when administered in the appropriate dosage, gifts its host with unparalleled physical strength and inhuman regenerative capabilities," Mochizuki began. "Unfortunately, it also eventually causes said host to go completely insane. This girl has three times the recommended amount flowing through her system, and she was never administered with the antidote."

Isshin's jaw fell open. "How the hell is she still alive?!"

His friend shook his head. "I have absolutely no idea; perhaps she possesses a genetic mutation capable of suppressing the majority of the negative effects of the virus. I know that you are well aware of Black Label, so I will simply cut to the chase. Yuuko, along with one of my other operatives, was assigned to investigate an abandoned warehouse after reports came in of suspicious activity in the area. What they found there was far beyond anything we expected."

Isshin remained silent, which Mochizuki took as a sign to continue.

"There was a subterranean lab underneath the facility, and it was absolutely littered with fresh corpses. After reviewing the files they uncovered, my team came to the conclusion that the deceased individuals had been scientists preforming experiments with recovered samples of the D99. On their way out of the compound, Yuuko was attacked by the only surviving test subject."

"The girl," Isshin surmised, glancing through the glass at the teenager in the adjoining room.

"Indeed," Mochizuki confirmed. "A short conflict ensued, and Yuuko critically injured the girl in the end. The only reason she is still alive right now is because of my protégé's kindness and guilt. She doesn't remember anything that happened before her operation, but she has frequent nightmares that indicate repressed memories."

The former Captain frowned. "How old is she?"

"Only fourteen."

Swearing under his breath, Isshin had to visibly keep his anger in check. He was absolutely appalled that there were people in the world who would subject someone so young to what was ultimately a slow and painful death. Of course, the girl was still very much alive, but based off of what he knew about D99, there would forever be a chance that she could fly off the handle and enter a psychotic rage.

If that came to pass, she would unfortunately have to be put down.

Turning to his friend, the Kurosaki patriarch raised a brow. "This is all extremely unfortunate, and I wish there was something that I could do to help her, but you still haven't exactly told me why I'm here…"

"Actually, there _is_ something you can do for her. Both Yuuko and I have reached the conclusion that in order for her to recover properly, she must be allowed to recuperate in a less stressful environment. We both know that children find hospitals uncomfortable, and I sincerely doubt that this girl has ever experienced life with a normal family; that is why I called you in," Mochizuki replied.

"You want me to take her back to Karakura Town?" Isshin gawked. It wasn't necessarily a bad idea, but he was slightly concerned for the safety of his children. Then again, he would easily be able to stop her if she ever went berserk with little more than a twitch of his finger. Kisuke and Yoruichi also lived nearby…

"I realize that this is a lot to ask of you," Mochizuki admitted, "but there is no one else I trust with such a sensitive issue. Besides, even though your own children are significantly younger, it might do her good to be around someone relatively close to her age like Ichigo."

The former Captain remained silent for several minutes before eventually letting out a sigh. "Let me talk to her alone first, and then I'll consider it…"

The older man fished into his jacket and handed him a keycard. "This will get you into her room."

Accepting the card, Isshin strode out of the observation room and prepared to enter the examination room, only to pause just before scanning the keycard. He couldn't help but feel ashamed at his hesitance; Masaki would have probably legally adopted the girl by now and welcomed her wholeheartedly into the family. The least he could do was give her a chance.

Slowly opening the door so as to not frighten her, Isshin entered the room and carefully approached the bed.

The girl flinched when the door clicked shut, but otherwise she didn't acknowledge his presence in the slightest.

"That's a nice rabbit you have there," he said with a smile," does he have a name?"

He saw her eyes briefly regard the stuffed animal, but even so he didn't receive an answer.

"A little shy, eh? That's fine, my daughter Yuzu is exactly the same when it comes to meeting new people. Well, maybe not _all_ of the time, but she's still pretty timid around strangers." If the girl wasn't willing to talk just yet, then Isshin would do the talking for her. It was important to let her know he someone who she could feel comfortable simply being in close proximity to. Acting casual was the key component for that. "I guess I should probably introduce myself, huh? My name is Isshin Kurosaki, pleasure to meet ya!"

Although his tone was friendly and excited, he kept his voice below a certain volume. He didn't want to give her any reason to be any more skittish than she already was.

"Haruka…"

Isshin blinked. Wow, that was easier than he thought it would be. "I'm sorry sweetie, what did you say?"

The girl tentatively looked up and held out her rabbit. "Her name is Haruka," she repeated softly.

"Oh? Well then Miss Haruka, I apologize for assuming you were a male; it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance," the former Captain grinned, carefully reaching out to shake the stuffed animal's velveteen paw.

The girl smiled at that.

"And what, may I ask, is your name?" he asked, turning her.

"Sayo…Sayo Hitsugi…"

"Well now, that is one of the most beautiful names I have ever heard! It's nice to meet you as well Sayo!" Isshin smiled broadly.

Sayo went as red a tomato and squirmed on the bed, but the widening smile on her face made it clear that she appreciated the praise.

Pulling up a chair next to the bed, Isshin looked around the room. "It doesn't look very fun in here…are you and Haruka enjoying yourselves?"

Sayo made a face and shook her head. "No, we hate it here. The nice lady with brown hair comes in to play with us sometimes, but the old guy says she has other things she needs to do…"

The former Captain snorted. No doubt the 'nice lady' was Yuuko and the 'old guy' was Mochizuki. "What kinds of games do you like to play?" he asked.

"Pretend stuff mostly," the blue-haired girl replied. "And I like to draw pictures."

"Really? My daughters love that kind of stuff too!" Isshin grinned. "They drag their big brother into their games all of the time; I remember one time I walked in on them having a tea party, and Ichigo was covered nearly head to toe in makeup."

Sayo laughed. "That sounds like fun!"

The dark-haired man laughed as well. "Hey…do you want to meet them?"

Her laughter ceased, and she immediately froze. "M-meet them…?"

"Sure! They'll love you, I promise; heck, Ichigo might end up loving you _too much,_ since you're so darn pretty."

Sayo's blush returned once again, and she squirmed a bit awkwardly. "Are you sure…?"

"Positive; let's go introduce you," Isshin offered, holding out a hand.

The bluenette stared silently at the outstretched appendage for a good three minutes before slowly accepting it with a hesitant nod. The former Captain gently helped her out of the bed before leading her towards the door.

Mochizuki was waiting for them outside. "I'm impressed," he said, ignoring when Sayo stuck her tongue out at him. "The only person who's been able to get her to open up that much so far has been Yuuko."

"Well maybe that's because she actually treats her like a kid," the Kurosaki patriarch snarked.

Guiding his new charge down the hallway towards the waiting room, Isshin's heart immediately warmed upon seeing Yuuko reading to his children from a storybook. Yuzu was sitting directly in her lap, listening with rapt attention. Karin sat in the chair to her left, leaning sleepily against her arm. Ichigo was positioned on the floor, and although he looked bored as hell, Isshin knew he would suffer through every princess story on Earth if it would make his little sisters happy.

"Miss me kiddos?" he asked, announcing his presence.

Yuzu and Karin both looked up as one, before immediately scrambling out of their respective seats to embrace their father's legs. "Daddy!"

Ichigo's reaction was far more subdued, and he eyed the teenage girl holding his father's hand a bit warily.

Laughing boisterously, and shooting Yuuko a thankful look, Isshin crouched down and prepared for introductions. "Yuzu, Karin, Ichigo, I want you guys to meet Sayo. She doesn't have a mommy or daddy, so I want you all to be really nice to her. She's going to be staying with us for a while."

His daughters turned to inspect the newcomer, who fidgeted under their gaze. Finally, Yuzu stepped forward and offered her a wide smile. "I like your bunny!"

A small smile slowly crept across Sayo's face, and she held her stuffed animal up. "Thank you, her name is Haruka."

As the children began conversing, Isshin stood back up. "I take it this means you accept my request?" Mochizuki asked from his side.

"Yeah, I suppose it does," the former Captain replied with a fond smile. Looking back down to observe the kids, he was amused to see his son shyly talking to Sayo, who in turn appeared to be asking him a multitude of questions. Despite the six-year age gap between the two of them, he could already tell that they were going to become close over time.

He would have grandchildren to spoil one day damn it!

* * *

The ride back to Karakura Town was, in a word, peaceful.

Upon leaving the hospital, Isshin had taken the group of kids out for a bite to eat just like he'd promised. After that, they had gone shopping to pick out several pairs of clothes for Sayo. The young girl had changed from her drab hospital gown into a frilly purple sundress that stopped several inches below her knees. They would pick up the rest of her necessities once they got home.

The blue-haired girl watched the scenery fly by in utter fascination. This was in all likelihood the first time she had been allowed to travel outdoors, what with being cooped up in the hospital all of the time. Isshin sincerely doubted her previous life as a test subject had afforded her any traditional comfort either.

Once they'd arrived back home, the former Captain instructed his daughters to show their new guest around while he had a brief little chat with Ichigo. "For the time being, you and I are going to be camping out together in the living room," he said. "You don't mind if Sayo uses your room, do you?"

The orange-head shook his head. "Not as long as she doesn't mess with my stuff…"

Isshin guffawed and ruffled his boy's hair, before dragging him along into the house.

The twins were already showing the bluenette their shared room with extreme earnest. Let it be known that nearly all young children had the instinctual desire to try and impress older kids.

While Ichigo pulled whatever he thought he would need out of his room and down into the den, Isshin informed Sayo of her sleeping arrangements. Although she seemed slightly embarrassed with the fact that she would be sleeping in a boy's bed, she accepted the conditions without any vocal form of complaint.

When everyone was settled, the Kurosaki patriarch raised a brow. "So, what do you guys think we should do to welcome Sayo to the family?"

Yuzu's hand quickly shot into the air. "Oh, oh!"

"Yes sweetie?"

"Let's go get ice cream!"

Isshin sorted. How typical of his sugar-obsessed daughter to come up with an excuse to sate her cravings. "It's getting a bit too late to be going out for ice cream."

Yuzu pouted, and Karin raised her hand. "Can we watch a movie and eat popcorn?"

The former Captain grinned. "Now _that_ is something we can most definitely do."

The girls cheered, and Ichigo simply grinned.

Moving towards the kitchen, Isshin called one last time over his shoulder. "I'll start making the popcorn, so why don't you guys pick out a movie?"

The twins pulled their new friend and big brother over to their cabinet full of VHS tapes, and promptly began debating on what to pick out. "I wanna watch the Little Mermaid!" Yuzu declared.

Karin stuck out her tongue. "We watch that sissy movie all the time! Let's watch the Jungle Book!"

Both girls whirled on Ichigo, who winced at the sudden attention. "What do _YOU_ want to watch Ichi-nii?!"

Said orange-head merely shrugged. "I don't really care, I'm fine with whatever you guys wanna pick."

The two four-year-olds groaned and shared a look before turning to their newest housemate. "What about you Sayo-nee? What do you wanna watch?" Karin asked.

The blue-haired girl squirmed a bit under their intense gazes, but nevertheless leaned forward to inspect the chosen films. "I don't really know…can you tell me what they're about?"

She might as well have just said she didn't know what the moon was.

"Whaaaaat?" Yuzu screeched, completely scandalized. "You've never heard of the Little Mermaid or the Jungle Book?!"

The bluenette shrank in on herself, but relaxed slightly when Ichigo placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Um, no I haven't…the people at the hospital never let me watch movies…"

The twins stared at her with wide eyes for several long seconds before simultaneously tearing up and all but _throwing_ themselves at the flustered older girl.

"Poor Sayo-nee!" Karin wailed, wrapping her arms securely around her new friend's waist. "Those mean doctors never let you see Disney movies!"

"Don't worry Sayo-nee!" Yuzu hysterically assured her, "We'll make sure you get to catch up!"

Utterly bewildered, Sayo cast a cautious glance in Ichigo's direction. The orange-haired boy merely shrugged in response. "They _REALLY_ like Disney movies." Quickly regaining their bearings, the twins pulled the bluenette over to the movie cabinet and launched into full-blown descriptions of their favorite films.

"The Little Mermaid is the best movie of all time!" Yuzu exclaimed enthusiastically. "It's about a mermaid named Ariel who falls in love with a handsome prince, but her daddy doesn't want them to be together. Then an evil squid-lady turns Ariel into a person, and she gets to meet the prince! But then it turns out she is cursed, and she and the prince end up fighting the squid-lady! It's so awesome and romantic!"

Karin gagged and shook her head, shoving her chosen movie into Sayo's face. "Don't listen to her Sayo-nee, the Jungle Book is the _real_ best movie ever! It's about a boy who gets raised by animals and lives in the jungle, and his best friends are a panther and a bear! They fight monkeys one time, and then they fight an evil tiger!"

Taking each movie in hand, the bluenette looked back and forth for several minutes before finally reaching a decision. "Can we watch the Little Mermaid today? I promise we'll watch the Jungle Book tomorrow."

Yuzu let out a happy cheer, and although Karin pouted momentarily, she eventually perked back up.

Ichigo walked over and took the movie from Sayo's hand and put it in the VHS player. At the same exact moment, Isshin returned from the kitchen with a heaping bowl of buttery and delicious popcorn.

"So, what are we watching?" he asked, plopping down next to his son on the couch. Sayo was curled up in a blanket on Ichigo's other side, while Karin and Yuzu shared a cushy chair.

"The Little Mermaid," the eight-year-old replied with a small sigh.

Isshin grimaced slightly, but made sure put on a happy face for his daughters. It wasn't that he didn't necessarily like this movie, but watching it almost every single day on repeat had ensured that he wasn't exactly comping at the bits for it to start playing again. "Wonderful…" he muttered sarcastically. Ichigo laughed and grabbed a handful of popcorn, which he then proceeded to share with Sayo.

The former Captain smirked.

Heh…how cute.

The evening went just about as expected. The girls, including Sayo, were utterly glued to the screen; they giggled when Ariel met Prince Eric for the first time, and hid behind their blankets when Ursula made her appearances. They laughed when Flounder and Sebastian got caught up in their various mischief, and tried their best to sing along to the various musical numbers.

When 'Kiss the Girl' started playing, Isshin couldn't help but cast a sideways glance. Ichigo and Sayo were pressed shoulder-to-shoulder, completely engrossed in the movie. The former Captain grinned; he sincerely doubted the two were even aware of how close they were to one another.

Yuzu and Karin both cheered happily when Ariel and Eric got married, and even Sayo giggled in excitement. It was nice to see the girl actually enjoying herself and acting like a normal kid, especially after everything she had apparently gone through.

The movie finally concluded, and the Kurosaki patriarch turned to look at the clock on the wall.

 _9:15 p.m._

"Alrighty then, time for you Rugrats to get to bed," he announced, grabbing the remote and turning off the TV.

Yuzu and Karin let out whines of protest, but their wide yawns and bleary eyes made their exhaustion extremely apparent. Scooping up his daughters, Isshin carried them up the stairs to their room, where he took the time to tuck both of them in and wish them sweet dreams.

Sayo and Ichigo were waiting for him out in the hall.

"Well, like I said earlier, you'll be taking over Ichigo's room during your stay with us," the man said, directing his words at the bluenette. Said girl cast a nervous gaze in Ichigo's direction, but his lack of hostility and utter impassiveness seemed to assuage her fears. Clutching Haruka to her chest, Sayo padded down the hallway to her designated quarters.

"Hold up there blue."

Pausing, she turned to give Isshin a confused look.

The former Captain was sending his son a smug grin. "Well Ichigo? Don't you have something you want to say to Sayo here?"

From the base of his neck to the roots of his hair, the young boy turned a truly remarkable shade of red. He would most likely start giving off steam any minute now…

"G-Goodnight Sayo…" the eight-year-old mumbled under his breath.

The blue-haired girl's confused frown morphed into a beatific smile, causing the oldest Kurosaki child's face to brighten even more. "Goodnight Ichigo! Goodnight Mister Kurosaki, thank you for letting me stay here!"

With that, she turned on her heel and disappeared into her temporary bedroom.

Isshin bellowed out a laugh and ruffled his son's hair. "Oh yeah, you _definitely_ like her."

"Shut up…" Ichigo grumbled.

* * *

It happened like it always did…

Ichigo didn't dream very often these days, but when he did, it was of the same thing over and over again.

The girl turned into a monster…

His mother cried out his name and moved to protect him…

Blood spattered across the grass…

Brown eyes shot open, and the eight-year-old heaved upright from his sleeping position in the large chair. Letting out a series of rapid and shaky breaths, Ichigo raised a hand to wipe the wetness from his eyes. Every time he dreamed, he always dreamed the same thing. And it always ended the same way…

With a betrayed look permanently etched onto his mother's face as her lifeless body fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry mom," he whimpered, willing the tears not to fall.

A soft sound suddenly caught his attention, and with his curiosity getting the better of him, Ichigo decided to investigate the source. Following the noise upstairs, he was surprised to identify it as muffled sobbing. That immediately ruled out any possibility of it coming from Karin or Yuzu. When the twins cried, they _cried,_ and they made sure to let everyone in the vicinity know about it. But no, the type of crying he was hearing now sounded like it was trying to be suppressed.

Sayo…

Slowly approaching the door to his usurped bedroom, the orange-head tentatively knocked on the wooden frame. The crying within became slightly hitched, and morphed into quiet hiccups. Soon enough, the sound of feet padding across the carpet became audible, and the door quietly opened to reveal the puffy eyes and runny nose of the Kurosaki household's newest resident.

"Y-Yes…?" the bluenette asked hesitantly.

Ichigo frowned; she almost sounded like she thought she was in trouble. "Why are you crying?" he questioned, ignoring her own inquiry, "Are you okay?"

Sayo flinched, and quickly attempted to clear her eyes of any remaining tears. "I-I'm fine…just a nightmare…"

Ichigo's frown only deepened. Due to having spent numerous years learning how to decipher whether or not Tatsuki was telling the truth or fabricating some sort of fantastic escapade, he had developed a rather good skill of being able to tell whether or not someone was lying. And Sayo was most definitely lying.

"My mom used to tell me that being sad by yourself only makes it worse…" he said. "But, if you're sad with somebody else, they might be able to make it better."

The older girl's eyes widened marginally, and after a few minutes she opened the door the rest of the way. Entering the room, Ichigo immediately saw that the blankets were an absolute mess, tangled and ruffled like nobody's business. The sheets were also mussed up; she must have really been thrashing around.

Sitting on the mattress, with Sayo doing the same next to him, the orange-head turned to regard her. "Wanna talk about it?" he asked gently.

Letting out a shaky breath, the fourteen-year-old clenched the sheets in a vice-like grip. "I-I can never really remember much…I just know that there were people hurting me. They would stick needles in my arms and back, and then shock me with some kind of electric stick. When they got angry, or I didn't do something the way they wanted me to, they would hit me really hard…it hurt so much…"

With the shadows of the room obscuring her face, Ichigo was unable to see her features. That was why he was slightly surprised when she turned to face him, with hot tears once again rolling down her cheeks.

"If it was just a dream," she sobbed, "then why does the pain always feel so real?"

Swallowing the knot that had built up in his throat, Ichigo tried to come up with an appropriate response. This was vastly different from all the times he had been forced to comfort his little sisters after they'd scraped a knee or bumped their elbow on a table edge. His dad had told him that Sayo had been through some really hard times, and that Karin and Yuzu would be too young to understand. Looking back into his new friend's desperately pleading eyes, he began to speak slowly.

"My mom died not a very long time ago…and when she did, I felt really really sad. I thought it was my fault that she died, and I blamed myself. Then one day, my dad told me that it wouldn't do any good to keep crying over something that couldn't be changed…"

Pausing briefly to garner Sayo's reaction, he saw that she looked slightly confused, but was still listening intently. So, he continued. "He also told me that it was up to the two of us to keep looking after my little sisters, and without a momma, I was gonna have to get stronger to help protect them; because that's what big brothers do."

His eyes suddenly hardening, Ichigo fixed the bluenette with such an intense look that it briefly took her breath away. "I don't know how long you're gonna be living with us, but while you are, it makes you family too. And I promise that one day I'll get strong enough that you and my sisters will never have to cry again…"

Sayo's eyes widened at the utter conviction in the orange-head's voice. For someone so young, he was incredibly mature and responsible. But like he said, he had people to look after, and he couldn't afford to act like a little kid anymore.

Breaking out into a watery smile, Sayo lurched forward and wrapped her arms around the younger boy in a grateful embrace. "Thank you, Ichigo…" she whispered, burying her face in his hair.

"Heh, heh…uh, yeah…d-don't me-mention it!" he replied dumbly, breaking his mature cool-guy mask and turning a nearly atomic shade of red.

Outside the bedroom door, Isshin smiled softly before turning and heading back downstairs.

* * *

The next few days after Sayo's initial arrival were dedicated to simply allowing her to settle in.

She watched cartoons with the rest of the Kurosaki kids during the morning, played with them during the afternoon, and bundled up on the couch with them in the evening to watch movies. Isshin was genuinely surprised at how normal she was acting and how well she seemed to be adjusting. Of course, she still had nightmares after going to sleep, but either Ichigo would hear her and go upstairs to talk to her, or she would quietly sneak downstairs to wake him up.

Well, at least she _thought_ she was sneaking.

Spending several decades working his way up to the rank of a Soul Reaper Captain had afforded Isshin with truly remarkable senses. As such, it was almost painfully easy how well he was able to tell when either his son or their new guest was creeping around at night.

Regardless, it was good for both of them. Ichigo needed someone to take his mind off of Masaki, and Sayo needed someone to simply be there for her. It was honestly a win-win situation in his opinion.

One morning, while the kids were all eating their various sugar-stuffed cereals, Isshin's phone rang. Picking it up with a dramatic flourish to entertain the younger members of the household, the bearded man answered in his typical energetic fashion. "Thank you for calling the Kurosaki Clinic, where the prices are cheap and the results are even better! How can I help you today?"

" _Well, you could start by getting your ass over here. We need to talk."_

His smile quickly being replaced with a look of utter seriousness, Isshin turned to make sure the kids were occupied with the ThunderCats before cupping his hand over the phone and hushing his voice. "Kisuke? What's the deal, you never call…"

" _And the reason I am calling now requires your immediate knowledge and attention,"_ the exiled Captain on the other end of the line drawled sarcastically. _"Look, I apologize if you're busy and for calling on such short notice, but we really do need to talk."_

Sighing, Isshin drummed his free hand on the table. "Is Yoruichi there?"

" _Uh, yeah she's here…but I don't see how-"_

"I'm bringing the kids too, see ya in a bit," the Kurosaki patriarch cut in, and before Kisuke could refute or challenge his statement he swiftly hung up the phone. Turning to face the kids, he once again smiled broadly. "Alright gang, who's up for a day in the city?"

Karin and Yuzu cheered.

Sayo simply smiled excitedly and Ichigo grinned in agreement.

After turning off the TV and locking the house, the Kurosaki Gang plus one headed in the direction of Urahara Shop. Holding the twins' hands, Isshin had cheekily told his son and new houseguest that they would have to hold hands since his were all full. He'd meant it as a joke of course, but was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly amused when they awkwardly grasped each other's fingers.

As far as the kids were concerned, Kisuke's place was simply a candy store run by an old friend of the family. Tessai absolutely adored Yuzu and Karin, but they had never had the pleasure of meeting Yoruichi. Even if she turned out to be in her feline form when they arrived, she would be in for quite the encounter.

Yuzu absolutely _loved_ to cuddle with every single cat she came across.

Isshin grinned at the thought of his ebony friend being lugged around by a four-year-old.

As the group continued towards their destination, they passed by various other Karakura residents out and about on their daily routines. More than a few people stopped to compliment how adorable the girls were, and even _more_ stopped to tease Ichigo and Sayo on how they made a cute couple. The orange-head and bluenette both turned brilliant shades of scarlet, but surprisingly continued to hold hands. Maybe it was due to the fact that Isshin and Masaki had more than instilled in their son's mind the necessity to hold someone's hand while outside on the street, or perhaps there was something more…

He totally shipped it.

After twenty or so minutes of walking, they finally arrived at Urahara Shop, where the man himself was lazily waiting for them on the front porch, waving his paper fan slowly through the air.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite customers…." Kisuke grinned, fishing into his pockets as the twins wormed their way out of their father's grip and rushed towards him. Pulling out two pieces of candy, the blond ex-Captain quickly relinquished them to the voracious four-year-olds. Glancing over Isshin's shoulder, Kisuke cast Ichigo and Sayo a lazy smile. "Help yourselves to anything inside kiddos, it's on the house."

Glancing at his father for permission, which he gave, Ichigo pulled his newest friend up the steps and past the entry-curtain into the depths of the sweets shop.

Yuzu and Karin had already situated themselves in a couple of plushy chairs by the time the orange-head and bluenette picked out their desired treats. Getting comfortable as well, the two older kids quickly tore open the wrappers and dug into their prizes.

"Sooooo gooooooood…" Sayo moaned dramatically, relishing the flavor of the chocolate melting in her mouth.

"I'm glad you like it," a silky feminine voice chuckled.

All four children whirled around just in time to see a dark-skinned woman with deep purple hair emerge from behind the curtain separating the main store from the staff's sleeping quarters. She wore a light orange top, with tight black pants stretching all the way down to her ankles.

"Who are you?" Yuzu asked, always willing to make a new friend.

Giving the girl an indulging smile, the woman swiftly crossed the room and crouched down next to the collection of youngsters. "My name is Yoruichi, I'm a friend of Mister Urahara's."

"Are you his girlfriend?" Karin questioned through a mouthful of caramel.

Both Ichigo and Sayo noticed the ebony-skinned woman flinch almost minutely, before she quickly regained her pleasant attitude. "Ah, no…no I'm not. We're just really good friends."

"Well I'm Karin," the dark-haired twin announced proudly, before pointing at her sister. "And that's Yuzu."

Yoruichi laughed musically. "Well it's lovely to meet you both; I assumed that you were both princesses based on how pretty you are."

The twins blushed and began to shyly rock side-to-side in their seats. Turning her smile to Ichigo, whose cheeks colored slightly at the sudden attention, the purple-haired woman cocked her head to the side. "And who might you be?"

"I-Ichigo…"

Sayo's eyes narrowed.

"Oh my," Yoruichi tittered. "Such a handsome name for an equally handsome young man."

Ichigo turned even redder, and he attempted to direct all of his focus back on the candy bar in his hands. The bluenette's eyes narrowed even more, and she had to suppress a growl when the woman turned her eyes in her direction.

"And what's your name sweetie?"

"Sayo," she replied curtly.

Raising a finely manicured brow, Yoruichi smirked slightly in amusement, causing the bluenette to bristle even further. "Well that is a beautiful name Sayo…just like you."

The fourteen-year-old simply huffed and turned away. Smiling knowingly, Yoruichi made herself comfortable on the floor and listened patiently as Yuzu started to prattle on about something concerning unicorns.

Back outside, Isshin and Kisuke were situated in a pair of wooden chairs facing the streets. "I know you no longer have the ability to sense Spiritual Energy on a grand scale, so I wanted to just make you aware of this after I received concrete confirmation," the blond began grimly. "Three months ago, on the same day Masaki was killed, a massive Spiritual Presence appeared in London, England. I wasn't sure at the time, due to it having been such a long time since I'd felt it in person, but now I'm one-hundred percent positive what the source was…"

"Alucard?" Isshin guessed, dearly hoping he was wrong.

Kisuke merely nodded.

At his released full power, Alucard could roughly be considered to be near the same level as Kenpachi Zaraki while the latter was still wearing his eyepatch. Captains Kyōraku, Ukitake, and Unohana would each be able to easily handle the No-Life King in a one-on-one battle, and Captain Commander Yamamoto would utterly decimate him in any kind of confrontation. What made the vampire so dangerous, however, was his ability to get even stronger with each soul he consumed. At the time of his transformation, Alucard had barely been as powerful as a high-level Lieutenant. Now, however, he was easily considered one of the most lethal beings that permanently resided in the World of the Living.

Soul Society had hoped they had seen the last of undead monster after his imprisonment at the end of the second World War, but according to Kisuke, who was hardly ever wrong, Alucard was free to walk the Earth once more.

And he had been awakened on the exact same day of Masaki's death…

There wasn't a snowball's chance in hell that was a mere coincidence.

"I know that you're familiar with Integra Hellsing, Arthur's daughter," Kisuke spoke up. "Apparently, she was the one who stumbled across Alucard's tomb while trying to escape her homicidal uncle…"

"Lil' Teggs? Is she okay?!"

"She's fine," the blond ex-Captain snorted. "In fact, I'd say she's more than fine now, considering she has one of the most powerful supernatural creatures residing in the World of the Living at her beck and call."

"Then why tell me this?" Isshin frowned. "I know that Alucard is a serious threat, but the Hellsing Organization operates out of England, which is in the Biblical Faction's jurisdiction. How will it affect us here in Japan? Or even the Soul Society for that matter?"

Letting out a sigh, Kisuke turned his gaze skyward. "You know as well as I do that the different Mythologies are constantly encroaching on one another's territories; I even heard a rumor that Sirzechs is requesting for a small bit of land somewhere near Kuoh Town. We can't rely on borders and treaties to hold up forever…and I can tell that something bigger is at play here. I mean, what are the chances that Masaki and Kanae would die on the literal exact same day that Alucard was released back into the world? The math doesn't add up…"

Furrowing his brow, Isshin leaned back silently in his chair to absorb the rush of new information. "Have you told Ryuken?"

"Yeah, I phoned him right before I called your place."

Nodding, the Kurosaki patriarch closed his eyes and hummed in thought. Kisuke was right; there was definitely something much bigger in motion. It might not come to light anytime soon, hell it might not even do so in the next fifty years, but when it did, something would change forever…

The pitter-patter of feet across the wooden flooring interrupted his train of thought. Opening his eyes and looking over his shoulder, Isshin smiled at seeing Yuzu and Karin rushing towards him with bright grins across their faces. Ichigo wasn't far behind, and Sayo was nearly sticking to him like glue. Yoruichi was the last to appear, and she looked almost exactly the same since the last time he'd seen her.

Standing up just in time to catch the double four-year-old projectiles, he spun them around, much to their stared delight, before resting them o his hips. "Were you guys good for Auntie Yoruichi?"

'Auntie Yoruichi' gave him a sour look, but Yuzu nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh! Miss Yoruichi said that I was pretty enough to be a princess!"

"She said the same thing about me!" Karin exclaimed, albeit with a little less vigor.

Isshin bellowed out a laugh. "Well it's true after all! My girls are beautiful enough to make supermodels green with envy!"

The twins blushed at the compliment, but still laughed along with their father. Off to the side, and standing nearly shoulder-to-shoulder, Ichigo and Sayo watched the merriment with small smiles. Of course, Sayo's smile was a bit smaller, and she kept a careful eye on Yoruichi.

"Alrigthy then, we best be getting home," Isshin announced. "We can't leave the clinic unattended for too long. Say goodbye to Mister Urahara and Miss Yoruichi, and thank them for the candy."

"Thank you for the candy!" the four children chimed as one. As the Kurosaki family and their newest guest headed back home, Yoruichi leaned against the wall and laughed softly. "Cute kids…but I'm pretty sure the one with blue hair hates me."

Kisuke snorted, before turning with a dramatic flourish and once again entering his humble candy shop.

* * *

The days continued to go by, and soon they turned into weeks, and before anyone knew it, nearly a month had passed.

Sayo truly became like the big sister the twins had never had. She braided and combed their hair, played dolls with them, and on more than one occasion was invited to a super-exclusive tea party. She also continued to grow even closer with Ichigo. After almost a month had gone by, they had become just as close as he and Tatsuki were, if not more so.

Her nightmares grew less and less frequent over the course of her stay, but even when she still had them, Ichigo was always there to comfort her. And in return, she was there to help him vent through his guilt over Masaki's death.

Isshin firmly believed that if she were allowed to stay indefinitely, the two would undoubtedly begin to form some kind of relationship.

Unfortunately, there eventually came the day when a sleek black van rolled into Karakura Town. It came to a stop in front of the Kurosaki Clinic, and out stepped Masamune Mochizuki and Yuuko Sagiri. The girls were over the moon at seeing the younger doctor again, and even Sayo was thrilled that her first real friend had stopped by to see her. They had proceeded to drag Yuuko upstairs for a last-minute tea party, much to the eighteen-year-old's amusement.

Unfortunately, once they had discovered that Sayo was all better, and that she was moving away, the waterworks had begun in earnest.

"W-We don't wa-want y-you to g-go, Sayo-nee!" Yuzu sobbed, wrapping her small arms around the bluenette's waist and burying her face in her stomach.

Karin was hardly faring any batter, and was silently trembling while hiding her face in the small of Sayo's back.

Sayo herself was also shedding a plethora of tears, but she managed to reign her emotions in just enough to coherently envelop the twins in a fierce hug. "I don't want to leave you guys either, but the doctor says I have to go. I promise I'll call you every day!"

The two four-year-olds looked up at her with watery eyes and trembling lower lips. "You promise…?"

The bluenette nodded reassuringly, and the twins reluctantly let her go. Free from their grasp, Sayo then turned her attention to Ichigo. The orange-head absolutely refused to cry, but he was obviously straining with the effort of holding in his tears. Swiftly closing the distance between them, Sayo wrapped her arms around her best friend in a tight embrace. Barely a fraction of a second later, Ichigo's arms settled around her as well.

"I'll never forget what you said to me…" the bluenette whispered softly.

"I'll make sure you never have to cry again, even if we can't see each other," Ichigo responded.

Hesitantly pulling away from each other, the two friends awkwardly realized that they had an audience. Karin and Yuzu were too young to understand, but Yuuko was smiling so widely it looked like she might squeal, and Mochizuki and Isshin were sharing a knowing look.

After their embarrassment subsided, and after Sayo's belongings were loaded into the van, the Kurosaki family stood outside the clinic and waved goodbye to their friend as she was carried away down the street. They remained in place until the van was no longer in sight, at which point Isshin sighed and ushered the kids back inside.

Sayo did indeed make good on her promise, and called the clinic every day to inform them of her well-being. Sadly, those daily calls eventually became weekly, and then bi-weekly, and then barely monthly.

And then they stopped all together…

* * *

 _(Flashback End: Present Day)_

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Sayo Hitsugi reached forward and ran a gentle hand through her unconscious friend's hair.

She had _really_ tried to keep in contact with the Kurosaki family, but shortly after she returned to the hospital, her introduction and training for Black Label had begun. She had barely been able to find the time to make a call, and soon enough she had simply been too caught up in her training to bother.

Now the guilt was hitting her like a hammer to the stomach.

How were Yuzu and Karin doing? They would at least be fourteen by now, the same age she had been when she first met them.

How was Isshin?

How was Mister Urahara?

How was Miss Yourichi?

A soft knock at the door drew her attention, and she looked up just as Yuuko walked back in.

"We received a report that a small and covert shipment of Platinum Lily is being imported into the city tonight near the harbor," the brunette reported. "I find it strange that they would attempt to bring it in at the exact same place their last try was thwarted, but it seems as though only a single individual is attempting to purchase the Platinum Lily this time."

Hiccuping slightly, Hitsugi nodded in acknowledgement and shakily rose to her feet. A hand on her shoulder, however, made her pause. Yuuko fixed her with a worried look. "Are you sure you'll be able to focus?" she asked.

Sayo managed to smile weakly. "Ichigo once told me that it doesn't do anyone any good to cry over something you can't change. You said he'll pull through, right? So, I'll just have to be here when he wakes up to welcome him back."

Yuuko smiled at her subordinate's surprising conviction, before nodding and leading the way out of the examination room. Pausing in the doorway, Sayo cast her childhood friend one final smile. "You better not wake up before I get back Berry Boy," she chuckled softly.

* * *

The minute Ichigo's eyes opened, he was greeted by the sight of an endless blue sky.

Sitting up, the orange-head was shocked to see that he was sitting on the side of a skyscraper.

His Inner World…

Ever since the loss of his powers, he'd tried multiple times to contact Old Man Zangetsu, and even the Hollow bastard that resided in his soul. Of course, he'd been met with absolutely zero luck, but it still hadn't hurt to try.

" **Well, well, well, look who finally fucking decided to show up…"**

That voice…

Whirling around, Ichigo's eyes widened when they landed on the all-too familiar form of his alabaster copy. "It's you…" the orange-head breathed out in disbelief.

His Inner Hollow smirked. **"Yeah, no shit it's me; I've got one hell of a fucking bone to pick with you!"**

Moving to the side just in time to avoid a building-demolishing swing of a sword, Ichigo fixed his spirit with a gob-smacked expression. Three years. It had been nearly three goddamn years since they'd even spoken to one another, and the first thing the psycho bastard tries to do is kill him?!

"What the hell is your problem?!" he shouted at the Hollow, who in return simply grinned cockily.

" _ **My**_ **problem? You wanna know what my problem is? Aside from the fact that you went and got yourself another sword, you are the single most pathetic excuse of a man I have ever seen…"**

"How the fuck am I pathetic?!"

Now it was the Hollow's turn to look incredulous. **"How?** _ **HOW?!**_ **I'll tell you how! For the past three years, you've been surrounded by some of the hottest babes I've ever fucking seen! And what do you do about it? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! You're eighteen goddamn years old! You should be drowning in pussy right now!"**

The Zanpakuto Spirit rushed forward and raised his blade for another strike.

" **I mean, let's list off a few shall we? First off, there's your old boss, Ikumi. Have you seen the tits and the ass on that woman?! She's prime MILF material; if I were you I'd have plowed that so hard!"**

Ichigo leaped to the side just in time to avoid being decapitated.

" **And then there's the more recent additions. That new boss of yours is kinda off-putting, but you gotta admit she's got the whole 'classy and sexy' thing going on. I wonder what kinda things she'd let you do for a promotion?"**

The orange-head rolled under another swing aimed at his midsection.

" **And don't even get me started on the blonde vampire chick…she's got knockers nearly the same size as Yoruichi's! And she's got that whole 'innocent but sexy' vibe about her; it's so fuckin' obvious she likes you that it's painful to watch."**

Ichigo growled and spun out of the way of a Getsuga Tenshou.

" **I haven't even started on the hotties from Tobioka City! The detective with the giant tits is a real looker, and so was the white-haired chick who kicked your ass. And then of course, there's your good old buddy Sayo…**

The former Substitute froze. "Sayo…?"

" **You didn't even know?"** his Hollow cackled. **"She was the one who beat the ever-loving crap out of you and put you in the hospital. But holy fuck has she grown up!"**

Snarling, Ichigo barely noticed when _Manus_ materialized in his hand. "Don't you dare talk about any of them that way!"

With a roar, he charged forward to meet the Hollow's blade in a shower of sparks.

* * *

 **I know. Not the most exciting of chapters, but necessary to include nonetheless.**

 **Everything I write has a purpose, so if it seems like filler, it really isn't. Not all stories are pure action; world and plot building are just as crucial as all of the beloved fight scenes.**

 **I realize that Ichigo may have seemed to mature for his age during the flashback, but I did that intentionally. With two sisters to look after and no mother around to help, he was forced to grow up fast and adopt a sort of semi-parental role. And if Sayo seemed a little too immature for a fourteen-year-old, that's because I did that on purpose as well. She was in an incredibly fragile state of mind, and she hadn't been allowed to socialize with other kids and mature on her own.**

 **But hey, now you all have some context for their relationship.**

 **And yes, Hichigo has made his first canonical appearance. I know that a lot of you have been anticipating this, but I encourage you to wait and see what happens before jumping to any kind of conclusions of your own.**

 **On a side note, regarding the inclusion of other series in the future, I want you guys to know that I am always open to suggestions. However, just because you recommend a series, there is only a very slim chance I will incorporate it into the story. However, if you guys are able to provide me with a plausible scenario in which to introduce a new series or new characters, then they have a better chance of showing up.**

 **For example, if someone were to request** _ **Gurren Lagann,**_ **I would obviously ignore that suggestion. However, if someone were to request something that has the potential to make sense in my already established universe, such as** _ **Campione**_ **or even something like** _ **Sekirei,**_ **then I would actually put some thought and consideration into dedicating the time to introduce them to the story.**

 **Let's take a gander at the pairing poll, shall we?**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 32 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing (Scowl TM): 21 votes**

 **Sayo Hitsugi (Friends to Lovers): 13 votes (holy shit)**

 **Yuuko Sagiri (Sexual Healing): 12 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 12 votes**

 **Konomi Suzue: 11 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 10 votes**

 **Raynare: 9 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 8 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 8 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 8 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 7 votes**

 **Tiamat: 6 votes**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 5 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 5 votes**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it was only to provide context.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Birds of Prey

* * *

 **So yeah, I am** _ **really**_ **sorry for how long I've been gone form this story. I've been experiencing some pretty annoying writer's block, but thankfully I'm over it now.**

 **After rereading the last chapter several times, I decided to change Alucard's power level during Isshin and Kisuke's discussion. I also edited a few other things here and there so that everything makes more sense.**

 **Aside from that, boy does it feel good to reach my first double-digit chapter!**

 **The last three chapters have been progressively longer than those that came before them, and I am going to try to make nine to ten thousand word chapters a regular thing. Some might only be eight or seven thousand, but I'll try my best to reach my preferred word count.**

 **This chapter will begin to set the stage for a pivotal moment that will heavily impact several characters, and I anxiously await to hear everyone's reactions.**

 **I hope you all enjoy!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

Goryu hardly ever felt nervous.

The only time she ever actually did so was when she feared she had incurred her Master's ire. And for good reason; when Tobishiro got upset, she usually ended up being the thing he relieved his stress on. Or into…

Shaking her head to clear her mind of _that_ train of thought, the voluptuous ninja woman attempted to focus once more on her present situation. The previous evening, she had received an anonymous message on her private communicator, instructing her to meet the sender at an abandoned warehouse in Tobioka City's rundown industrial district.

Normally, this wouldn't have been cause for too much concern, but the fact that someone knew the number of the communicator that only her Master had knowledge of was more than a little unsettling.

Sucking in a steadying breath, Goryu approached the predetermined destination. As she entered the warehouse, she took the time to observe the desolate area. It didn't appear as though there was anyone else in the building at the moment, and Goryu prided herself on her ability to detect even the most minute of details regarding her surroundings.

Cautiously, she proceeded even further into the derelict structure. She was admittedly a few minutes early, but she had only been presented with an extremely narrow window of time to leave Tobishiro's compound without her Master noticing. He had placed her in charge of organizing all of his illegal operations, but her job was made much harder due to the fact that he became enraged whenever she attempted to vacate the premises, even when she was simply attending to his business. Her womanhood had been sore for _days_ after the last time she'd been punished…

"You made it. Good," a feminine voice suddenly spoke up.

Her eyes going wide, Goryu whirled around, and was met with the sight of a young woman who appeared to be barely out of her teens. There was only a handful of people on the planet who were able to sneak up on her, and it brought a very unsettling feeling to her chest to know that another strange person had been added to that list.

As for the girl herself, she was dressed in a set of very…noticeable…clothing. She wore a midnight-black tank top, with a white leather long-sleeved jacket covering that. A pair of blue jean shorts barely went down to her mid-thighs, and a white belt with a heart-shaped buckle was wrapped around her slim waist. Luscious dark brown hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back, and a white cap rested comfortably on her head.

"Who are you?" Goryu asked carefully.

The young woman merely waved a hand in dismissal. "Just a friend, here to help."

"Why?"

Walking over to a wooden crate, the girl tested its stability before hopping up and sitting on it. "Well to be completely honest, my superiors are the only ones who really care about your predicament. They are well aware that you and your Master are severely lacking in substantial manpower, and would like to help you out in that department."

Goryu frowned. "That is certainly an interesting proposition, but I am all too aware of the fact that you most likely want something in return. Nothing is done for free in this world…"

The girl grinned condescendingly, causing the ninja woman to internally bristle. "Good to see that you've got a big brain to go with those massive tits. You're right of course; in return for providing you and your Master with competent foot soldiers capable of physical feats unlike anything you have ever seen, my bosses will expect a single itsy-bitsy favor in return."

Goryu's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. "Only one?"

"Yep. I know that you plan on trying to acquire the shipment of Platinum Lily that's coming into the harbor tonight, and we _both_ know that the organization known as Black Label will most likely show up in an attempt to confiscate it for their own reasons."

The well-endowed ninja scowled. Black Label had been a thorn in her personal side for a considerable amount of time. Their continued interference in Tobishiro's operations had led to more than one rage-induced rape for her. "I am aware of this possibility; why do you mention it?"

The brown-haired girl smirked and leaned back on her palms. "If you are willing to cancel any plans to obtain the shipment of Platinum Lily this evening, then a few of my comrades and I will gladly do it for you. We've been meaning to come in contact with a specific member of Black Label for a while now, and this opportunity is the greatest one we've had. The authorities will most likely chalk it up to being nothing but another gang war."

Folding her arms underneath her breasts, Goryu took a moment to process the proposition. It was a surprisingly fair trade, but she was still a bit hesitant to blindly accept a deal from a strange young woman who wouldn't even provide her with a name. "What if I refuse?"

The atmosphere suddenly became very heavy, and the ninja woman was nearly forced to her knees under the pressure. The particles in the air began to gather in the strange girl's hand, until they eventually formed a humming orange sphere of glowing energy. "I would strongly recommend that you _don't_ …"

As soon as the threat was voiced, the pressure in the air was lifted, and Goryu found herself gasping for breath. "Very well…I…I accept your conditions…"

The girl smiled and extinguished the orb of energy in her hand. "Excellent! You're free to return to your Master's compound now; my companions and I will personally see to your business transaction when the time comes."

Nodding, Goryu shakily rose to her feet before moving to exit the building. Once she was gone, the brunette girl reached into one of the pockets of her jacket and withdrew a phone. Dialing in a number, the screen blinked to life in the form of a video chat.

"It has been done, Herr Major," she said.

" _Well done, Miss Basterbine! Well done indeed!"_ the Major chuckled jovially. _"I am glad to see that your capabilities weren't exaggerated."_

Bambietta bit back the bile that threatened to rise from her throat at the sight of the maniac on her screen. "Thank you, Major. They have agreed to our terms, and we will be given full authority over the drug exchange this evening. And, if the information I have gathered is correct, our target will undoubtedly show up."

" _How wonderful!"_ another voice exclaimed, and soon enough the Doktor joined the Major on the screen. _"It is utterly fascinating that Sayo Hitsugi has_ _been able to_ _survive for as long as she has with the amount of D99 in her system. Her genetic material should prove most useful in stabilizing my experiments."_

Bambietta rolled her eyes. "Remind me again why we couldn't just do this ourselves? I can't understand the reasoning behind partnering up with a little troll like Tobishiro…"

The Major shook his head in a condescending fashion. _"Because, my dear Fräulein, we cannot risk revealing ourselves to the general public just yet. It would be most inconvenient if the Hellsing Organization and Iscariot were to realize that our plans go much farther than simply creating artificial vampires. Therefore, we must act as if we are simply gutter thugs completing a drug exchange."_

"What do you want me to do now?" the brown-eyed young woman questioned.

" _For the time being, I wish for you to simply continue with your observations. Alhambra is preparing to engage Alucard and his fledgling in Brazil, and our spies in the Vatican are keeping close eyes on Alexander Anderson. Although Ichigo Kurosaki is no longer considered to be one of our current three Special War Potentials, we have considerable reason to believe that he will find a way to join the grand battle once the time comes."_

Bambietta nodded, and the transmission went dark. Letting out a sigh, she put away her communicator and leaned back to gaze up at the crumbling ceiling of the warehouse.

She hated the Major.

She hated the Doktor.

They were both insane, and were completely willing to shed blood and start war just for the sake of it. She herself enjoyed a good bout of violence every now and then, but she didn't completely relish in it like her temporary superiors did.

However, in exchange for her cooperation, she had been assured that her wish would be granted much sooner than originally intended. And, if she was able to get so much closer to her ultimate goal, then she would reluctantly follow Millennium until told otherwise.

"What a fucking lunatic," a feminine voice sneered from the shadows.

Looking up from the floor, Bambietta smirked slightly as her two subordinates stepped into the light. They were certainly no Soldat, but they still got their jobs done with admirable effectiveness. The ninja woman hadn't even realized they'd been less than thirty feet from her…

"I agree," the brunette snorted, "but, he's a lunatic with the power to wipe us off the map if we step out of line. We'll just have to suck it up and power through."

Her female companion scoffed, while the only male in the room flexed his biceps. "Crazy as they may be, you can't argue with the results of those vampire experiments. I feel like I could tackle a fuckin' train!"

Once again, Bambietta let out a light chuckle. Out of all of the current members of Millennium who weren't part of her original team, Senji Kiyomasa and Minatsuki Takami were honestly the closest people she would ever come to calling friends. Sure, they could be irritating and loud at times, but they were both far better than the silent weirdo and the scythe-swinging bitch.

Shaking her head, the wielder of 'The Explode' dusted off her outfit and walked towards the warehouse's exit, with her two companions dutifully following along behind her. It was time to prepare for their mission.

* * *

For a supposed drug exchange point, the harbor was eerily quiet.

Sayo and Yuuko walked side by side through a narrow gap between large stacks of shipping containers, and although the ship that was allegedly carrying the Platinum Lily had just arrived, neither women had seen hide nor hair of any possible recipients.

Clenching her gauntlet-covered fist, Hitsugi gently shook her head, attempting to disperse the doubt and concern still gnawing at the back recesses of her mind. She had already accepted that Ichigo simply needed time to heal, but she still couldn't help but worry about him. Seeing him after such a long time had surprisingly stirred deep-rooted feelings that she had thought were long-since forgotten.

He had certainly become quite handsome…

A hand on her shoulder brought her out of her stupor, and she turned slightly to see her superior giving her a knowing look.

"He'll be _fine_ Sayo," Yuuko assured her. "I need you to focus on the mission now."

"Heh, right," the busty nurse giggled a bit sheepishly. "Hey, did you see the size of that ship? When we're done destroying the Platinum Lily, we should go check for treasure."

Smiling at her friend's attempt to lighten the mood, Yuuko shook her head good-naturedly and looked forward once more. "Sorry, but are orders are to send it to the ocean floor."

A sudden bout of static buzzed in both women's ears, and they each brought a hand up to their communicators. "Go ahead Miki."

" _Somethings not right here…"_ the team's sniper mused over the com-link, her voice sounding worried. _"I won't be able to get a clear shot in with all of these containers, so be careful you two."_

"Aye aye," Sayo grinned, shrugging off the warning. As silence took hold once more, the bluenette's thoughts once again began to drift to the wellbeing of her childhood friend. What would she even say to him once he woke up?! 'Oh hey Ichigo, it's been ages; sorry for nearly killing you!' Somehow, that didn't really seem very appropriate…

So caught up in their thoughts were both of the Black Label agents, that they were never even aware that they were being watched…

High on the rooftop of a nearby building overlooking the harbor, three figures stood illuminated by the moonlight.

"That's her," Bambietta confirmed, looking away from her phone at the distant form of Hitsugi. The Daten that they possessed on their target was remarkably extensive, especially considering that she was someone who tried her best to keep her double life as an assassin hidden. If the Doktor's assumptions were to be believed, then Sayo Hitsugi was capable of engaging a low-level vampire in a contest of pure strength and potentially coming out on top.

It was a good thing that her subordinates were well trained to handle targets more physically capable than they were.

Turning to face her aforementioned companions, Bambietta adopted a slightly stern disposition. "Remember, we don't want to actually _kill_ her; that would cause too much of a scene. No low-level thug in this city would be capable of taking either of those women out, so the authorities would undoubtedly ask questions if both of them wound up dead."

Minatsuki scoffed. "Can we at least rough them up a little?"

The older brunette simply shrugged in response. "As long as you get the blood samples we need and the case of Platinum Lily for that disgusting little troll, then you can beat them black and blue for all I care."

The younger girl grinned excitedly, but Senji frowned uncomfortably. "It wouldn't be very cool of a man to beat up a woman, even if she can kick ass just as well as he can."

Bambietta sighed. "Then don't beat her up. I just need you to keep Sagiri distracted long enough for Minatsuki to do her job; can you handle that?"

The former police officer saluted and offered his superior a confident grin. "Yes Ma'am!"

Nodding in satisfaction, 'The Explode' turned back around to gaze down at their unsuspecting victims. "Alright, let's move in and get the job done…"

* * *

The metallic clanging of swords clashing echoed once again throughout Ichigo's Inner World.

It felt as though he and Zangetsu had been kicking the crap out of each other for the better part of an hour. During that time, the former Substitute had slowly begun to realize something rather peculiar.

His Zanpakuto Spirit's strikes were uncharacteristically sluggish…

Either the golden-eyed bastard was just toying with him, or there was something else going on entirely.

"So, are you gonna tell me where the Old Man is?" the orange-head sneered, deflecting yet another strike meant to cleave him in two.

His Hollow smirked. **"Changing the subject ain't gonna improve my mood, Kingy. Being sealed away for over three years, forced to watch as you bumble through life without even the slightest clue as to when a smokin' babe is obviously laying down the signs? It's enough to make even someone like** _ **me**_ **go crazy!"**

Scowling, Ichigo leapt over a horizontal slash and used the flat of Zangetsu's blade to vault himself over the Hollow's head. While in midair, he raised _Manus_ before bringing the silver encrusted sword screaming in a downward arc aimed directly for the Spirit's shoulder.

Zangetsu disappeared at the last second in a buzz of Sonido, forcing the orange-head to recover from his attack and raise his guard once more. The Hollow's mocking laughter seemed to echo all around him; seeping through the crevices of the decrepit skyscrapers, from the desolate streets below, and ever from the expansive skies above.

" **Avoiding the issue is only gonna make it worse, ya know!"**

"I don't have any issues!" Ichigo shouted back at thin air.

" **Oh really? Well then, riddle me this asshole…what do you call a man who starts to get fresh with his new coworker, only to reunite with his childhood sweetheart?"**

The sound of whistling steel caught the former Substitute's attention, and he whirled around just in time to block a devastating swing of his Hollow's sword. The force of their momentum was enough to send both man and spirit careening across the surface of the building, and Ichigo's heels dug into the glass and concrete, sending debris flying into the air. All the while, Zangetsu continued to grin like an absolute lunatic, but there was an undertone of irritation behind his eyes.

" **Hell if I know the answer; I'm just gonna stick with calling you a fucking moron!"** the spirit cackled.

Ichigo scowled. Sure, he could admit to feeling an… _attraction…_ to Seras, but he wasn't even sure if she was interested! She had a lot of shit to deal with, what with being a fledgling vampire and having that undead asshole for a Master. She had needed a friend when he'd first met her, and at the time he'd been the best suited to fill that position.

And then there was Sayo…his first crush, and the girl who'd helped him move past the guilt he felt over the death of his mother. He hadn't even been able to get a proper look at her since he and Pip had arrived in Tobioka City; their fight didn't count since he'd been far more focused on staying alive. Apparently though, according to what Zangetsu had said earlier, his childhood friend had grown into quite the attractive young woman.

"Why is something like this such a big deal to you?" he growled.

Zangetsu scoffed and pushed away, landing a few dozen feet away. **"Because, idiot, I'm your** _ **instincts!**_ **And whether you like it or not, your instincts are screaming at you to make at least some kind of a move."**

"Sayo and I haven't even talked since I got here!" the orange-head argued. "How am I supposed to take her feelings into account if I don't even know what they are?!"

The Hollow scoffed and stabbed his blade into the side of the building, before lazily leaning against it. **"You may not remember it since you were delirious, but that chick never left your side the entire ride to the hospital** _ **or**_ **after the hot doctor brought you out of surgery. I don't think I've ever seen a grown woman cry as much as that…"**

Ichigo's stance relaxed slightly. It seemed as though Zangetsu was content with simply talking for the moment, and as odd as that behavior was, he was certainly grateful for the Spirit's change in attitude.

" **Still though, it ain't my place to tell you all this shit and help you through it. You've gotta do that all on your own."**

"Why do you even care about something like this?" the former Substitute asked cautiously.

" **Why the fuck do you** _ **think**_ **?"** Zangetsu snorted. **"I'm a reflection of your innermost instincts and desires, so guess what that means buddy boy? Deep down, in the farthest reaches of your subconscious, you care about this too."**

Ichigo frowned and opened his mouth to retort, but no words managed to form.

The Hollow let out an annoyed sigh and rolled his golden eyes. **"Look, this ain't somethin' that you've gotta decide right now, but I'd highly recommend making a choice sooner rather than later. Chicks are weird like that; if you don't respond to their signals soon enough, then they'll just move on."**

"How the hell do you know all of this?" the orange-head asked incredulously.

" **Like I said, I'm your** _ **instincts.**_ **Millions of years ago, when humans were still climbing in trees and throwing their shit at each other, a male had to act fast if he wanted to land a receptive female. People have evolved since then, but the same basic elements are still there. I may be nothing but a reflection of your soul, but even** _ **I**_ **want to help my homeboy get laid before you reach your fifties."**

Ichigo turned a light shade of red, prompting Zangetsu to let out a howling cackle. **"Holy fuck, you're such a virgin!"**

"Wouldn't that make you one too?" the former Substitute snapped back.

The Hollow's laughter immediately stopped, and he sent Ichigo a harsh glare. **"Low blow man, low blow…"**

Rolling his eyes, the orange-head turned to scan the visible expanse of his Inner World. "So…where _is_ the Old Man?"

His alabaster copy scoffed. " **Still sleeping; that part of your soul hasn't gained back enough power to be able to communicate with you yet."**

"What do you mean?"

" **Do you remember when Alucard juiced you up with his own Spirit Energy?"**

Ichigo nodded.

" **Well there you go,"** Zangetsu smirked. **"Since the energy that invaded your body was so dark, it was converted into Hollow Reiatsu. That's the only reason why I can talk to you now, and the old fucker can't."**

"I thought you two were just two halves of my soul…" the orange-head frowned.

" **True, but our power comes from vastly different sources. I'm your primal instincts; dark, negative, and voracious. The Old Man, on the other hand, represents your skill, fortitude, honor, and all of that other goody-goody bullshit."**

Ichigo fixed his inner Spirit with a deadpan expression. "You're being weirdly insightful today…"

" **Shut the fuck up!"** Zangetsu snarled, baring his teeth. **"It ain't my fault that the Old Man isn't here to tell you all this shit! I can be just as smart as he is when I want, ya know!"**

"Whatever you say…"

The Hollow scoffed and hacked up a glop of spit off to the side. **"Anyway, you'll probably be waking up any minute now; I just wanted to hammer all of that info into that tiny brain of yours. Blonde or blue? Who's it gonna be?"**

The orange-head frowned and lowered his gaze, only to see that his body was beginning to dissolve into particles of Spirit Energy. "Before I go…I have a few more questions."

" **Well then, spit 'em out. I ain't got all fucking day, ya know!"**

Ignoring Zangetsu's attitude, Ichigo voiced his first concern. "You implied that my powers are coming back, even if only slowly. If so, how strong am I now, and when will they fully return?"

The Spirit's brow furrowed in a moment of thought, and he gave his wielder a once-over to gauge his current standpoint in power. **"You'd probably get your ass kicked by even a low-level Soul Reaper fresh out of the Academy, but for now you're still stronger than the average human. Faster too, and your Hierro will probably start up in the next few days. As for when you'll get your full strength back…the best I could guess would be at least a year or two from now."**

Ichigo's jaw dropped in disbelief. He'd certainly been expecting it to be a while, but that was still so long! He wanted to actually start being useful in fights, and fight side-by-side on the level of Seras and Alucard.

" **Don't give me that damn look, I can't help it if you're not happy with the answer!"** Zangetsu snapped, clearly irritated. **"You had a lot of power Kingy, and it's gonna take a while to all come back. The only reason it won't take even longer than that is thanks to the jump start you got from Alucard."**

The orange-head sighed in reluctant acceptance. He had plenty more questions that he wanted answered, but his body had almost completely vanished by this point.

The Hollow's expression inexplicably relaxed, and he offered the former Substitute a smirk. **"One last piece of advice though Kingy? Just follow your instincts, and you'll know what the right answer will be when the time comes."**

Surprised at the usually crass and vulgar Spirit's helpful advice, Ichigo returned Zangetsu's smirk with his own just before he faded away completely from his Inner World. Left alone once again, the Hollow laughed and raised his gaze to the never-ending skyline.

" **That damn idiot…I wonder if I should have told him about the cat lady too…"**

* * *

Ever since Ichigo's arrival in Tobioka City, Yuuko would admit that things had certainly become more…exciting.

Dodging another wooden crate than was thrown her way, the white-haired beauty dashed forward and attempted to land a strike on her opponent. All of her previous attempts had thus far been unsuccessful, and the absolutely inhuman speed that her adversary apparently possessed was beginning to become _beyond_ infuriating.

The eyepatch-wearing man bent low and bunched up the muscles in his legs, before leaping backwards at least twenty or so feet, putting more than enough space between himself and Yuuko to avoid the doctor's sword.

Taking a moment to catch her breath, the leader of Ampoule One used the temporary lull in violence to analyze her opponent.

Neither she, Sayo, or Miki had ever even registered their sudden assailants' presence until it was already far too late. Her blue-haired friend was currently engaged in combat with what appeared to be a young girl across the harbor, and Miki had gone eerily silent over their comms.

Her own opponent, on the other hand, was someone that she easily recognized from a police bulletin originating in Tokyo.

"Senji Kiyomasa, former officer of the Tokyo Police Department," Yuuko scoffed. "Convicted for the brutal murders of your entire squadron, you were reported to have escaped from prison nearly a year and a half ago…how coincidental it is that I find you here of all places. What interest have you in Platinum Lily?"

"So you know me huh? I'm flattered," Senji frowned. "But you got part of the story wrong; I didn't kill my team, they were like brothers to me. I was framed."

Yuuko's gaze narrowed. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you; I've heard one too many criminals plead their false innocence."

The spiky-haired man shrugged. "Eh, it's not like I expected any different. But my new bosses believed me, and that's why they busted me out of prison and gave me a few special gifts. Don't worry though, I'm not supposed to kill you, so you'll get to go home after this is all said and done."

The well-endowed doctor crouched into a combat ready stance. "You are certainly welcome to _try_ and harm me, but I assure you that it will be a far more difficult task than you might imagine."

Senji's face spontaneously illuminated in a brilliant blush, and he averted his gaze away from his opponent. "C-Could you not crouch like that? It…pushes you boobs forward…"

Yuuko's stoic expression crumbled into an incredulous look of disbelief. "Y-You're worried about something like _that_ in the middle of a battle?"

"Well don't blame me! It's not my fault that they're unreasonably big!"

" _Unreasonably_? I'll have you know that I am completely natural! How dare you insinuate that I would have the need to augment my body in any fashion. Am I not beautiful enough to you?"

"W-What?! No, of course not! You're hot as hell! Well…that is to say…hey watch it!" Senji yelped as he barely managed to dodge a swing that would have separated his head from his shoulders. "You bitch; you were playing me?!"

Yuuko smirked and lowered herself into another ready stance. "Like a fiddle."

The Millennium agent scowled and raised his hands to his opposite elbows. The rings on his thumbs popped open, revealing small blades, which he slashed along the lengths of his arms. Blood flowed from the open wounds, but instead of spattering to the floor, the red liquid contorted and reshaped itself in mid-air.

Within the matter of a second, five-foot blades made of blood formed from Senji's forearms.

The white-haired swordswoman's eyes widened in disbelief. "What in God's name…?"

"Pretty cool, huh?" the former police officer smirked. "Only advanced-level vampires are capable of blood manipulation."

"You must be joking…" the busty doctor whispered.

Senji's lips pulled back into a positively feral smile, revealing a mouthful of incredibly sharp fangs that glistened in the moonlight. "Oh I assure you, I'm not."

Letting out an animalistic war cry, the artificial vampire charged forward with enough power to shatter the concrete where he'd been standing.

Steeling her nerves, Yuuko raised her weapon and prepared for what promised to be the most challenging fight of her entire life.

* * *

Sayo was not faring any better than her superior.

In fact, if she had to say, she had drawn the short end of the stick due to the fact that her opponent was batshit fucking crazy. She couldn't even get close enough to the damn brat to land an effective hit due to the razor-sharp tendrils of blood the kid was waving around.

Barely even three seconds after their altercation had begun, the young girl had reached up and ripped out her earrings, and this action had apparently been the catalyst for her absolutely disgusting ability.

It was unlike anything Sayo had ever seen before, and although she hadn't previously considered herself a staunch believer in the supernatural, she would admit that there was something unnatural going on here.

"Hey, old lady!" the girl sneered, swinging one of her blood whips in the direction of Hitsugi's midsection. "Can you do me a favor and stop running so I can cut you? That would be really fucking great."

" _Old Lady?!_ I'm only twenty-four!" the bluenette snarled angrily.

"Oh I'm sorry, do you want me to go draw you a hot bath?" the little brat cooed mockingly.

Gritting her teeth, Sayo dug her gauntlet-covered fingers into the side of a shipping container. Focusing all of her strength into right arm, she _lifted_ the entire metal object into the air, before hurling it directly at the brunette little bitch. "At least I'm not as flat as a fucking ironing board!"

Just before the container squashed the girl into paste, she once again swung one of her bloody whips. The metal container was sliced cleanly in two, and fell harmlessly to the ground with a resounding crash. "Shut the fuck up! I have boobs, t-they're just not big yet…"

The blue-haired nurse smirked condescendingly. "Aw, it little Minatsuki self-conscious about her itty-bitty titties?" She took no small amount of pleasure in the look of shock and mortification that overtook her opponent's face. "Yeah, I know damn well who you are runt. Wanted for the murder of both of your parents, and the torture of your older brother Yō Takami. Classified as a certified mental case, the reward on your head is impressively large for someone so young."

Minatsuki's expression darkened. "You don't know a damn thing about me…don't talk like you know who I am!"

Letting out a furious cry, the unstable brunette whipped her bloody tendrils around once again. Sayo grimaced and leaped to the side in an effort to dodge, but one of the razor-sharp whips still managed to land a shallow laceration across her left shoulder. This whole cat and mouse bullshit was getting more than a little annoying; she needed to find an opening and take the brat out before she ended up falling unconscious from blood loss.

Fortunately, she knew one of the best ways to make someone lose their cool in the middle of a fight…

"What on earth could compel a little girl to slaughter both her mother and father?" she mused aloud, and smirked upon seeing Minatsuki's resolve slip slightly. Blasting forward, Sayo slipped through her opponent's guard and delivered an absolutely devastating punch to the girl's stomach.

The force of the blow bent the brunette over the older woman's first, and she vomited up a generous amount of blood.

"Sorry kid, it ain't anything personal…" Hitsugi said softly.

"Right back at you…bitch."

Sayo's eyes widened, and she was unable to move back in time to avoid the fury of slashes that were delivered all across her body. A small fist planted itself above her kidney, and the Black Label agent was launched across the concrete as if she'd been hit by an eighteen-wheeler.

Raising her head, Minatsuki smirked and licked away the excess blood still staining her lips. "Wanna know the funny thing about vampires? Gotta love our healing factor."

Shakily picking herself up, the well-endowed nurse scoffed and hacked up a glob of blood. "Vampires? You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

The younger girl simply grinned savagely and reached into her dress, withdrawing a syringe. "Nope. Now then be a good little bimbo and hold still; this will only hurt a lot."

Bringing up her fists, Sayo prepared for the worst. Before she could even blink, Minatsuki dashed forward in a display of absolutely insane speed. The brunette brutally lodged her fist in the bluenette's stomach.

Before the older woman could even open her mouth to release a cry of pain, the vampire delivered a series of furious blows and punches to Hitsugi's torso that undoubtedly ruptured several internal organs and broke more than a few bones.

Spinning in place, the red-eyed girl landed a kick to her opponent's side. An audible crack echoed through the area, and Sayo screamed in unparalleled agony. Collapsing like a sack of rocks, the bluenette's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to the concrete in a bloody and broken heap.

Smiling sadistically, Minatsuki raised one of her blood whips and prepared to deliver the finishing strike. However, a firm grip on her shoulder broke her from her bloodlust, and she turned around to be greeted by the sight of a grim Bambietta.

"B-Boss!"

"What the fuck did I tell you?" the older brunette snarled, tightening her grip enough for the young vampire to actually wince. "Get what we came for, and then get out. Nobody needed to die!"

"But why does it matter?" the short-haired girl argued. "She's just some dumb human! Humans hurt me and Senji! What does it matter if we hurt them in return?!"

Bambietta's expression softened, and she gently pulled her younger subordinate into a soothing embrace. "I know they hurt you, but the world doesn't work like that. You can't punish somebody for sins that they didn't personally commit."

Minatsuki let out a shuddering sob, and bloody tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "I-I'm sorry…"

'The Explode' sighed and released the unstable girl, taking the syringe from her hands and approaching Sayo's unconscious body. Kneeling next to the battered bluenette, she stuck the needle into her neck and extracted a sufficient amount of blood. "I suppose I can't really blame you too much…you haven't been taught how to properly channel your emotions. We'll be working on that once we return home, do you understand?"

"Y-Yes Ma'am…"

Nodding in satisfaction, the brown-haired Sternritter rose to her feet and faced her subordinate once more. "Come on, let's go get Senji and go home. I already managed to snag the Platinum Lily."

"Yeah, I doubt you'll be going anywhere…"

Both young women whirled around at the new masculine voice. Looking up at the top of a stack of nearby shipping containers, their eyes widened upon seeing a dark-haired man and brown-skinned woman standing there.

"How in the…I didn't even sense their Spirit Energy!" Bambietta muttered incredulously.

Seemingly content with ignoring the two brunettes for a brief moment, the man, who was wielding a ridiculously large sword, turned to his companion and cocked a brow. "So, do you want to handle this, or should I?"

The ebony woman sighed and shook her head. "Nah, I got this. Been a while since I've actually gotten my boots dirty…"

Leaping from her perch, the woman was engulfed in a pillar of emerald Spirit Energy, causing Bambietta and Minatsuki to shield their eyes. When the light died down, she was revealed to have gone through quite the wardrobe change.

A black cap adorned her head, with a transparent veil flowing from the edges. A form-fitting black top covered her torso, and white gauntlets concealed her forearms. White pants covered her lower half, and a pair of thigh-high black boots attached to leather garters adorned her legs. A white scarf was wrapped around her neck, and it billowed slightly in the wind.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Minatsuki snarled, baring her fangs.

The dark-skinned woman looked less than impressed at the display. "Watch your fuckin' mouth, brat. Call me Jackie." Looking down at the bloodstained pavement, Jackie closed her eyes and let out a resigned sigh. "Would you look at that? All of this blood that you've spilled has already gotten my boots filthy…"

"I don't give a fuck about your-"

The young vampire's response was cut off when Bambietta tackled her to the side just in time to avoid the tidal wave of green Spirit Energy that the ebony woman kicked in their direction. The unyielding torrent of power continued its path through the entirety of the harbor, until it finally dissipated out at sea.

Eyes widening in shock, the brown-haired Quincy turned back to their new adversary. "What the hell was that?"

"Like I said," Jackie replied impassively, "you got my boots dirty. That's always a poor idea."

Glancing in the direction where they'd left Sayo's body, Bambietta noted that the man was already gathering the unconscious woman up in his arms. "Are you friends of hers?"

"More like we're acquaintances of a friend of hers," the dark-skinned woman responded. "And he would be royally pissed if he knew we let anything bad happen to her."

Bambietta grimaced in understanding; Ichigo Kurosaki had certainly made a multitude of friends who had the potential to make her job infinitely more difficult than it needed to be. Glancing down at her subordinate, the brunette noticed that Minatsuki had been rendered unconscious by the force of Jackie's attack. Even with their incredible healing abilities, vampires were still just as prone to head trauma as ordinary humans.

She couldn't afford to drag this confrontation out any longer…

Raising her palm, 'The Explode' conjured a glowing orange orb of Spirit Energy. "This has been fun and all, but my friends and I really need to get going. Don't try and get in our way again, because I promise that the consequences will be far from worth it."

Jackie's eyes widened, and both she and her male companion leaped backward just as Bambietta hurled the sphere at the ground. The world fell eerily silent just before it impacted the concrete.

An absolutely earth-shattering explosion followed, raining fire and smoke on the entirety of the harbor.

The Fullbringers, with the addition of a still unconscious Sayo, took cover behind a decrepit warehouse. Once the heat finally died down, they emerged to scan their surroundings. Almost all of the metal shipping containers in the area had been melted down into an unrecognizable blob, and a pillar of smoke continued to rise into the air as fires dotted the landscape.

"They're gone," Kugo observed.

"Sure seems that way," Jackie sighed, releasing her Fullbring. "What about the other chick with the white hair?"

"I assume that you're talking about me…"

Both Fullbringers turned in the direction of the new voice, and looked on as Yuuko Sagri emerged from the smoke. There were several large slashes decorating her arms, legs, and midsection, but overall, she seemed to be in far better health than her blue-haired comrade. Unfortunately, the same couldn't necessarily be said for her clothing.

Kugo had the decency to look away uncomfortably.

"What happened? Who are you people?" the well-endowed doctor asked cautiously, gesturing to Sayo in Kugo's arms.

"Let's just say that we're here to help," Jackie replied. "I'm Jackie, and this idiot is Kugo; we're acquaintances of Ichigo Kurosaki."

Nodding hesitantly, Yuuko approached and gave her blue-haired friend a once-over. "She needs immediate medical attention…do you think you can help me transport her to Mochizuki General?"

"As long as you put on some damn clothes, I'll do whatever you say," Kugo grumbled.

Letting out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, the white-haired swordswoman brought a hand up to the miraculously still-functioning communicator in her ear. "Miki, are you there?"

" _Y-Yeah, I'm here. What the hell is going on down there? The last thing I remember is getting blindsided by some brunette wearing short shorts…"_

Yuuko sighed in relief. "I'll fill you in on the way back to headquarters, just know that we'll be having some additional company. Inform Doctor Mochizuki to prepare a room for an emergency operation…its Sayo."

* * *

When Ichigo finally awakened, he became almost instantly aware that he was no longer wearing the clothes he'd had on during his fight with Yuuko and Sayo.

"Who the hell undressed me…?" he growled, before wincing as a flash of pain spiked through his head. He felt beyond sore; it was as if he'd fought Kenpachi for six hours straight…

Reaching up to run a hand through his hair, the orange-head glanced up from the sheets when the door to his room clicked open. A silver-haired girl with amber eyes entered, but she froze upon seeing the former Substitute staring back at her.

"Y-You're awake?" she gasped.

Ichigo looked down at himself and nodded. "It sure seems that way."

The girl crossed the distance between them surprisingly quickly, and pressed a hand against the orange-head's chest over his heart. "How the hell are you awake?! You went up against Doctor Yuuko and Big Sis! Your injuries were extensive enough to merit at least a month of recovery time!"

Blushing at her obliviousness to their proximity, Ichigo coughed and glanced off to the side. "I've always been a fast healer."

In truth, Zangetsu had most likely been focusing what Spirit Energy he currently possessed into his healing process. Thank God for that…he wouldn't have been too keen on laying in a bed for weeks on end.

Shaking her head incredulously, the girl pulled away and fixed him with an unreadable expression. "Well, anyway, I'm Mikoto. Sis will be glad to hear that you're up once she gets back."

"You're Sayo's sister?"

"No, not really. She just insisted that I call her that." Frowning suddenly as if remembering something important, Mikoto reached forward and flicked Ichigo right between the eyes.

"Hey! What was that for?" the orange-head complained half-heartedly.

"Your bastard of a partner put mine in the intensive care ward," she replied heatedly. "And if I can't kick that French bastard's ass, then I'll settle for punishing you in his place."

Oh, so she was one of the targets that Pip had been assigned during their mission huh? That meant she was also a member of Black Label.

"I'm sorry about your friend," Ichigo apologized honestly. "It wasn't anything personal, we were just carrying out our mission."

Mikoto glared at him for a bit longer, before her expression eventually softened. "Yeah, I can understand that. You just better hope that Arashi wakes up soon."

The sudden sound of a commotion outside caught both teenagers' attention.

"What's going on?" the orange-head questioned.

"I don't know…" Mikoto frowned, standing up to go and check.

However, before the silver-haired girl could even make it a couple of feet, and older woman with violet hair burst into the room. Her eyes were wide, and she looked to be in an extreme amount of distress.

"M-Miki?" Mikoto stammered. "What's wrong?!"

"Its Sayo…" the older woman answered grimly. "She was hurt pretty badly; Yuuko is preparing to operate on her right now."

Ichigo felt his heart stop…

"Is she going to be okay?!" the amber-eyed girl asked frantically.

"I…" Miki let out sigh. "I honestly don't know."

The former Substitute let out a pained grunt as he attempted to rise from the bed. It may have been years since they'd seen one another, and she may have been part of the reason he'd been put in the hospital, but he would be _damned_ if he let his childhood friend die. "Where is she?"

The violet-haired doctor frowned and walked forward to gently push Ichigo back down onto the bed. "Don't be an idiot kid," Miki sighed. "I know that you and Sayo were supposed to be childhood sweethearts, but it won't do either of you any good if you end up straining yourself too much. You're still recovering from surgery too, after all."

"I don't care!" Ichigo snapped. "I need to see her!"

"No, what you _need_ to do is calm down."

Everyone in the room froze, and collectively turned to face the doorway, where a long-haired man in a wheelchair was fixing the orange-head with a disapproving look. "I assure you young man, Miss Hitsugi will pull through this in the end."

"Doctor Mochizuki? What are you doing all the way up here?" Mikoto asked in surprise.

"I had the sudden urge to check in on our newest friend here," the elderly man replied, wheeling himself into the room. "It seems as though I was right to follow my instincts."

Reluctantly, Ichigo ceased his struggling, and Miki finally released her hold on him.

"As I was saying," Mochizuki spoke up again, addressing the former Substitute directly. "There is no need for you to concern yourselves with Sayo's wellbeing. She is truly a remarkable woman."

"You think I don't already know that?" the orange-head scoffed.

The doctor smirked and folded his hands across his lap. "That may be so, but I sincerely doubt you fully comprehend just how special she really is; allow me to fill you in. When I was a young man, I was a medical officer for a mercenary group stationed in the Middle East. One day, my colleagues and I happened upon a village, where the people welcomed us with open arms."

Ichigo frowned at the randomly odd story, but listened silently anyway.

"One of the members in my party had recently suffered an all but fatal gunshot wound to the stomach; I had been keeping him alive to the best of my ability until we could reach proper civilization, but his time was running increasingly short. However, the villagers took pity on us, and decided to share with us their most treasured secret."

"What was it?" the former Substitute asked.

"It was a red liquid that they called _dama alshaytan,_ which roughly translates to 'The Blood of the Devil.' Whatever it might have truly been, when we injected our friend with the liquid, his mortal injury healed itself within a matter of hours. However, the villagers warned us that very few were deigned worthy enough to fully recover. We didn't know what they meant until the sun went down the next day…"

Miki, Mikoto, and Ichigo all continued to listen with bated breath.

"Apparently," Mochizuki continued, "there are very few people aside from the inhabitants of that village who are capable of withstanding the full effects of the liquid, which I later determined contained a type of virus. Our comrade lost all rational thought, and eventually became nothing more than a wild animal. I personally was forced to put him down. After returning to Japan with a sample of the liquid that I managed to obtain, I designated it as D99 and began thorough examination of its makeup. According to my research, the D99 virus almost always causes eventual cellular breakdown and mental collapse. Therefore, I regrettably decided it was unsafe for use in the mainstream medical field."

Ichigo frowned. "From the sound of things, I'm guessing Sayo has this stuff inside her too?"

"Indeed, she does," the elderly doctor confirmed. "However, she possesses some form of genetic abnormality that I have yet to identify which prevents her from succumbing to the negative side effects of the virus. In fact, this abnormality is so powerful that Hitsugi is able to survive with triple the recommended amount of D99 in her system. It is truly incredible…"

"But doctor, Big Sis says that she lived in Japan all of her life," Mikoto spoke up. "How did this D99 junk manage to get inside her?"

Mochizuki sighed and ran a hand through his long hair. "One of my fellow soldiers seemingly decided that the virus could be sold for a fortune on the black market. So, after going back and obtaining enough to serve his purposes, he slaughtered everyone in the village before burning it to the ground."

Miki and MIkoto gasped, while Ichigo merely clenched his fists.

"I agree," the white-haired man said grimly. "His actions were most regrettable. Fortunately, though, I managed to find him and kill him before he could release the majority of the D99 into the criminal underworld, and I destroyed all of the samples he had collected. However, it seemed as though he had already managed to sell some to Nurse Hitsugi's father, who himself conducted experiments with a high mortality rate on children he managed to kidnap off of the streets. He even tested the virus on his only daughter…"

The orange-head snarled. "At least tell me that bastard is in prison."

Mochizuki smirked. "Even better, he's dead; killed by his own daughter during a fit of berserker rage."

"Good," Miki snorted. Mikoto nodded in agreement.

Although he normally didn't take pleasure in learning about the deaths of others, Ichigo doubted anyone would miss a man who was cruel enough to carelessly condemn his daughter to a possible death.

"Well then, now you know why I am not terribly concerned for Hitsugi's wellbeing," the elderly doctor said. "Even the normal dose of D99 is enough to heal a fatal gunshot wound within a day, and she has three times that amount flowing though her system. Granted, her injuries were rather extensive, so it might take a bit longer for her to fully recover, but I am still confident that we'll be seeing her walking around again soon enough."

The women in the room let out sighs of relief, while Ichigo merely turned his gaze to his bedsheets. It had been so long since he'd seen his childhood friend, and he felt guilty about forgetting the wonderful times they'd had together.

He could only hope that she would forgive him if he'd been unable to keep his promise…

* * *

Hours later, the sun was beginning to finally rise above the horizon.

However, deep within the underground recesses of Mochizuki General Hospital that Black Label called their base, a certain individual roused herself from a restless night of endless nightmares.

Clad in nothing but an open hospital gown, Sayo stumbled out of her bed and let out a series of ragged breaths, before snarling and flipping the bed _though_ the nearest wall in a display of uncharacteristic violence. Her head rapidly darted in all directions, before her eyes finally landed on the object she was looking for.

Staggering over to the table against the wall, she picked up her devil mask and reached up to snuggly fit it over her face.

Letting out a sigh of relief, the bluenette turned her gaze to the ceiling and closed her eyes.

So much pain…

So much hate…

Yet, why was she unable to remember the cause of it all?

Her eyes snapped open once more, and Sayo Hitsugi unleashed an absolutely inhuman wail of rage and agony.

* * *

 **For those of you who have actually watched of read** _ **Triage X,**_ **you can probably guess what's about to happen next time.**

 **That aside, you've been asking when the introduction of the Quincies will occur, and I have finally provided you with an answer. And don't worry, Bambietta's inclusion was not something that I randomly decided to include to appease my more impatient readers. Her involvement has been planned since I originally conceived the idea for this story.**

 **But why, you may ask, is a Sternritter working for a organization of Nazis? Will any more of our favorite Quincies make an appearance? Well, you'll just have to wait and see!**

 **Now then, allow me to explain why I took so long to update…**

 **Like I said in the beginning Author's Notes, I have been experiencing some extreme writer's block concerning the fight scene between Senji, Yuuko, Sayo, and Minatsuki. In the actual** _ **Triage X**_ **storyline, our favorite nurse and doctor fought against some antagonists that would have never appeared in my story again, so I decide to replace them with some characters that could actually be relevant to the story later on after their initial introduction.**

 **And yes, Senji and Minatsuki are from** _ **Deadman Wonderland**_ **, but their powers could easily be explained as vampiric in nature if you tried hard enough.**

 **Some of you might be concerned that I am introducing far too many characters to handle effectively, but I can assure you that I have already put a good amount of thought in each character's place in the story. I don't come up with the content of each new chapter as I write them; I have a preexisting outline that I simply flesh out when I reach certain points in the story.**

 **Also, I realize that some people might be put off by the way I chose to portray the return of Ichigo's powers, but keep in mind that Old Man Zangetsu was able to actively suppress his Inner Hollow for a considerable amount of time. Therefore, it is not unreasonable to suggest that one aspect of his Zanpakuto is capable of functioning without the other.**

 **Let's look at the pairing poll, shall we?**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 36 votes**

 **Integra Hellsing (Scowl TM): 24 votes**

 **Sayo Hitsugi (Friends to Lovers): 20 votes**

 **Yuuko Sagiri (Sexual Healing): 18 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 13 votes**

 **Konomi Suzue: 12 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 10 votes**

 **Raynare: 10 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 9 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 8 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 8 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 8 votes**

 **Tiamat: 7 votes**

 **Rip Van Winkle: 5 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 5 votes**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, even if it was a bit late.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Broken Mind

* * *

 **Hey everyone, AlucardsBro here yet again with another exciting update!**

 **In regards to last chapter, I am glad that everyone was so interested in the idea that Millennium and the Quincies are working together, but I will not be revealing the full details of their collaboration until much later in the story. The nature of their relationship will be examined in full during the Battle of London, but that won't be for quite some time.**

 **So, if you were getting your hopes up about that, then you'll just have to wait.**

 **Aside from that, I am also glad that someone pointed out the fact that my portrayal of Bambietta is** _ **extremely**_ **out of character for her. I am well aware this, and I don't want you guys to worry about it. I will explain more about her character in the ending Author's Notes.**

 **For now, I'll just say that a single pivotal moment can change a person completely; take that however you will.**

 **I hope everyone enjoys the new chapter, especially since it depicts one of the most emotionally powerful scenes I have ever seen in any anime.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

Isshin Kurosaki sincerely doubted there was anything more spiritually uplifting than a beautiful day.

The weather in Karakura Town was surprisingly cool for this time of year, yet it was still right at that wonderful temperature where you didn't need to wear a heavy coat. The sun was also shining brightly, which undoubtedly contributed to the overall pleasantness.

Isshin snorted in amusement.

Her Ladyship must be in an exceptionally good mood…

Reaching up as high as his Gigai allowed him to, the Kurosaki patriarch tore a handful of vines from the wall of the house. He would admit that he had failed to do any proper landscaping for quite some time, but after Yuzu had pointed out how poor of an image all of the weeds gave the clinic, he had finally decided to suck it up and take care of them.

It wasn't that it was a necessarily difficult task, but it was the kind of boring physical labor that he would usually delegate to Ichigo if the boy had still been there.

Speaking of his idiot son, the brat still had yet to take the time to make a call home…

Yuzu and Karin were both beginning to worry about their dear big brother, despite the fact that they still had no idea what kind of work he was actually doing. If it was ever revealed to them that Ichigo was fighting vampires and zombies, they'd probably have simultaneous strokes out of pure stress. That being said, Karin's Spiritual Awareness was increasing with each passing day, so Isshin highly doubted he'd be able to conceal the truth from her for much longer.

Sighing in resignation, the former Captain ripped a final handful of vines from the side of the building, before stepping back to examine his handiwork.

Hmm, not too shabby.

If anything, it was at least worthy of a short break, right?

Chuckling to himself, Isshin removed his gloves and clapped his hands together to get rid of any excess dirt that had managed to accumulate. Humming merrily to himself as he entered the house, the dark-haired man strolled into the kitchen and opened the fridge, looking for his prize. Yuzu had been kind enough to make him a pitcher of lemonade for this very occasion, and he would be lying if he said he hadn't been looking forward to drinking it all day.

Honestly, there was nothing that his daughter could make that didn't taste amazing.

Pulling out the pitcher, the ex-Captain reached into the cupboard to retrieve a glass.

"You know," he suddenly spoke, not even bothering to look up from his task. "If you wanted to talk, all you needed to do was knock on the front door."

A feminine snort sounded from the living room, followed by the sound of someone settling into a chair. "This city does not fall under my jurisdiction; I cannot afford to be as careless as you…"

Isshin chuckled.

Heinkel Wolfe was still very much the same stoic teenager he'd met at his and Masaki's wedding. Snagging an extra glass, he poured them both a drink before setting the lemonade pitcher back in the refrigerator.

"Thirsty?" he asked kindly, walking into the living room and sitting on the couch.

It was adorable how awkwardly the Vatican agent accepted her drink, even if all she did was stare at it in obvious discomfort. "I never imagined that I'd be visiting you of all people of my own free will," she mused, swirling the contents of her glass around in a circle.

Isshin leaned back and took a mighty swig of the refreshing liquid. Smacking his lips loudly in satisfaction, much to Heinkel's annoyance, the Kurosaki patriarch laughed. "Nonsense, my dear! You were my darling wife's little sister in all but blood, which means like it or not, you are already an honorary Kurosaki! What kind of a man or father would I be if I wasn't willing to listen to my family's troubles, hmm?"

The blonde German sighed and reached up with one hand to massage her left temple. " _Unglaublich,_ you are just as insufferable as the last time we met…"

The ex-Captain squawked, placing a hand over his heart in mock-offense. "Heinkel dear, why do you speak so cruelly to me?!"

Blushing in discomfort at the informal way in which the goofy man addressed her, the exorcist finally took a tentative sip from her drink. Ignoring the question Isshin had posed, she took a steadying breath and looked him in the eye. "I suppose there is no point in beating around the bush any longer…I have no doubt that you already know why I'm here."

The dark-haired man's cheerful expression quickly melted away into one of utter seriousness. "That I do; you want to learn more about Ichigo, correct? How to approach him if the two of you were to ever meet face-to-face?"

Heinkel's blush darkened. God in heaven, she was an absolute disgrace, wasn't she?

Here she was, a twenty-six-year-old woman, traveling across an entire continent just to ask a young man's father how to talk to him appropriately. She wanted to make sure that the first impression she left on Ichigo was a good one, but now that she was actually here discussing the subject with Isshin, the way she had gone about doing this seemed more than a little ridiculous.

The ex-Captain laughed good-naturedly, and before the blonde could react, he reached forward to ruffle her hair. Snarling, she leaned away and reached up to smooth out her locks.

"My dear, Ichigo is a very complicated young man, to say the very least," Isshin smiled, ignoring his guest's heated glare. "He will fight tooth and nail against anyone who would dare lay a hand on those close to him, yet he is not above offering his enemies a chance at redemption. As much as he would like to think otherwise, the boy wears his heart on his sleeve, which is a trait that I am wholeheartedly confident he inherited from his mother."

Relaxing slightly, Heinkel allowed a small smile to form on her face. Masaki had indeed been the kind of person who wanted to help very single person she came across, regardless of their affiliations or factional alignments. It didn't matter whether or not an individual was an Angel, Fallen Angel, or even something as despicable as a Devil, she would be there to help them in their time of need. If Ichigo was anything like his mother in that regard, then the exorcist was even more anxious to meet him in person.

Taking another sip from his glass, the former Captain paused for a brief moment before continuing with his description of his most headstrong child. "That being said, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if my boy were to someday make an incredible sacrifice in order to protect the people he loves. Whether that sacrifice will be his life, his power, or his humanity, I cannot truly say. He has done this before, and to this day I know he has never regretted that decision."

"You would so casually accept him making such a sacrifice?" the blonde asked incredulously.

Isshin shook his head. "Of course not; I am his father, and as such my ultimate wish is to see all of my children live lives full of joy and happiness. However, as much as I may wish otherwise, I cannot always be there to supervise and keep them from making life-altering choices. What I _can_ do, however, is trust in them to make what they feel is the right decision. Ichigo is a good kid, and despite the fact that he can be as bull-headed as me, I know that he has a strong head on his shoulders. As long as he has people counting on him, I know he'll fight to make it to tomorrow."

Letting out a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding, Heinkel nodded in acceptance. Now that she had a fairly basic understanding of her brother's mindset, she was fairly confident that she would be able to convince him to let her be a part of his life when the time finally came. It was also good to simply hear that Ichigo was an honorable young man.

Father Anderson would be proud of him, even despite the fact that the boy was working with Hellsing.

Letting out a sudden chuckle, Isshin grinned slyly and leaned back against the couch. "You know, I'm slightly curious as to why you are so fixated on my son, despite the fact that he isn't my only child. You don't have a little brother complex, now do you…?"

Heinkel snarled, and reached towards her holy pistols. However, before she could get too worked up, she took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.

Engaging the likes of Isshin Kurosaki in direct combat would have been nothing short of suicide anyway. She, along with the rest of the Vatican, were well aware of the presence of Soul Society, along with the multitude of other mythological entities that existed across the world. However, Lord Michael had assured them that the Lord in Heaven was the one true Creator, so the knowledge of other deities didn't bother her as much as it did people like Anderson and Maxwell.

Finishing the remainder of her lemonade, Heinkel stood up and dusted herself off. "While I cannot claim to know why Masaki chose to marry outside of the Catholic faith, I suppose she did not pick too poorly in you," she admitted reluctantly.

Isshin blinked in a moment of brief surprise. He never thought he'd see the day where anyone from the Vatican would say that they approved of him.

Smiling, the dark-haired man stood up as well and followed his guest as she walked to the front door. "It's good to know that I'm finally getting the recognition I deserve!" he boasted bombastically, placing his hands on his hips and laughing heartily.

A scowl overtook her features, but as she turned around to voice her retort, Heinkel was overcome with shock when the Kurosaki patriarch suddenly enveloped her in a strong hug. Going as rigid as a board, every muscle within the German's body was screaming at her to draw her weapons and fill the man with blessed bullets.

However, Isshin's next statement made her resolve crumble completely.

"I know that you have mixed feelings about me, and that's okay," he said softly, gently stroking the petrified woman's hair. "However, I just want you to know that even if you decide that you hate me, I will always consider you to be part of our family. If you ever find yourself with nowhere to go, or no one to open up to, the Kurosaki house will always be open to you."

Against her will, the German exorcist felt tears begin to gather in the corners of her eyes. Her body sagged completely, forcing Isshin to support the entirety of her weight.

And, for the first time since she was a little girl, Heinkel Wolfe sobbed like a child.

* * *

The moment Ichigo opened his eyes, bright sunlight nearly blinded him.

Bringing up a hand to block the offending light, the former Substitute slowly sat up. The last thing he remembered was falling back asleep in his hospital bed after the discussion he'd had with Doctor Mochizuki. That being the case, he was fairly sure that it was impossible for sunlight to shine into a room without any windows…

As his eyes adjusted to the shining rays, Ichigo found himself in what appeared to be some kind of incredibly lush garden. Gorgeous plants of multiple species dotted the landscape, and although he couldn't see them, the orange-head could hear the calls of numerous birds echoing around the canopy.

"It must be some kind of a dream," he muttered to himself.

When he rose to his feet, Ichigo nearly fell flat on his ass again when the trees in front of him suddenly parted, revealing a winding pathway through the foliage. "Yeah, definitely a dream…"

Despite the fact that such a situation would have normally put him on edge, the orange-head couldn't help but feel an unnatural calming sensation wash over him as he was continuously bathed in the sun's rays. There was no possible way to describe it in full, but the warmth that continued to gradually encompass him felt strangely reminiscent of being held in his mother's arms.

"That is right child, you have no reason to fear Us."

A soothing voice cut through the trees like a knife coated in honey, beckoning Ichigo forward. Against his better judgement, the Substitute continued on his trek through the jungle, until he eventually came upon a clearing. And there, sitting on a stone near a large pond, was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

No, beautiful wasn't even good enough of a word to describe her…

Long, midnight-black hair cascaded down her back and shoulders, pooling around her legs. Soft brown eyes drew him in, enveloping him even more in that unexplainable calming sensation. Imagine the most gorgeous Japanese woman you have ever seen, and then magnify that beauty by infinity. That still wouldn't be enough to even begin to compare to the goddess offering Ichigo an absolutely serene smile.

Seras was breathtaking.

Integra was mesmerizing.

But this woman…she was in an entire league of her own…

Falling to his knees, the orange-head attempted to voice the single question occupying his mind to the best of his ability. "W-Who are you…?"

The woman's kind smile turned slightly melancholy, and Ichigo felt his heart wrench at the very idea that he'd caused her any form of displeasure.

"It pains Our heart to see that you do not recognize Us, child. We have watched you grow since you were but an infant, and We could not be prouder of the life you have led," she said, gracefully rising to her feet and approaching the still shell-shocked young man. "You have made numerous allies, even out of those who were former adversaries. Truly, you have inherited the most wonderful of qualities from Our dear Masaki."

Ichigo remained motionless as the woman came to sit behind him, before gently pulling his head down into her lap. Soothing fingers began to run along his scalp and through his hair, melting away any fear and anxiety he possessed. "You knew my mother…?"

The woman laughed, and that sound alone seemed to make the world much brighter and happier.

"Indeed, We did. Although We love all of Our descendants equally, Masaki will forever hold a special place in Our heart. Her loving soul knew no limitations, and although her death at the hands of Grand Fisher will forever make Our heart heavy, We are glad that she was able to make the most noble of sacrifices in order to protect you."

Ichigo felt his eyelids began to droop. The ministrations that the woman was applying to his scalp was starting to make him very sleepy.

She chuckled lightly, ceasing the movement of her fingers. "We cannot have you falling asleep just yet, little one. There is still much that you need to do."

"Like what?" he mumbled tiredly.

"Your friend needs your help. Her mind has become clouded, and she has lost herself," the woman sighed worriedly. "Her comrades appear to have lost any hope of bringing her back to her senses, and We fear that if she were to be put down now, she would become a truly destructive Hollow."

His friend? Who was his friend again?

Blue hair.

Violet eyes.

Sayo…

Ichigo's eyes shot open, and he bolted upright. Sayo was in trouble? Then what the hell was he doing laying around?!

The woman smiled proudly. "Such a protective heart you have. Go now child, and save her soul."

Rising to his feet with a renewed sense of conviction and determination in his heart, the former Substitute turned to face his mysterious companion. "Thank you, but I would still like to know your name before I leave."

She chuckled, and spread her arms. As soon as she did so, the intensity of the sunlight shining down on the garden magnified nearly tenfold. "We are that which gives warmth to all things."

Before Ichigo was able to voice any kind of response, she quickly rose up and pressed a finger against his lips.

"Your questions will have to wait, darling child. Now, We need you to wake up."

* * *

"Ichigo, I need you to wake up."

Slowly opening his eyes, the first thing that greeted Ichigo's sight was a very worried Yuuko Sagiri. Her hair had returned to its natural shade of brown, making her far more recognizable as the young woman he'd met all of those years ago.

"Hey Doc," he mumbled tiredly.

Despite the severity of the present situation, Yuuko couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Hello to you as well. I would like to go ahead and formally apologize for any injury I caused you."

Sitting up slowly, the former Substitute waved of her concern. "Eh, don't worry about it. I've taken beatings a hell of a lot worse than that."

The brunette's expression quickly turned serious once again. "So I've heard," she said, prompting Ichigo to raise a questioning eyebrow. "During a recent assignment, Sayo and I encountered some very unique individuals who claimed to be acquaintances of yours."

"Who?"

"I believe they referred to themselves as Kugo Ginjo and Jackie Tristan. They rescued Sayo from what would have undoubtedly been a very grim fate, and even fought off several individuals claiming to be vampires."

The orange-head's eyes widened marginally, but it was enough for Yuuko to notice.

"Until last night, I was content with my place in the world," she sighed, sitting down on Ichigo's bed. "However, now I know that there are creatures and beings out there far more dangerous than any crime lord could ever dream of being. I barely escaped my confrontation with Senji Kiyomasa alive, but I like to think that such an experience has opened my eyes." Looking the young man directly in the eyes with a surprising amount of determination, the busty brunette continued passionately. "Kugo and Jackie told me of your exploits as a Substitute Soul Reaper, and although I promise to keep your secret safe, I hope you will impart unto me some advice once the current situation has been dealt with."

Ichigo blinked in surprise. "You want me to _teach_ you how to fight vampires?"

Yuuko shook her head. "Not necessarily, but I would still like for you to at least share your personal experiences with me. Perhaps a seasoned veteran of the supernatural such as yourself might be able to give me some words of wisdom."

The orange-head scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "I'm not exactly the mentoring type, but I'll definitely try to help you cope the best I can."

Finally, Yuuko smiled, and leaned forward to encompass her younger friend in a grateful hug. "That is all I ask."

Ichigo squirmed awkwardly when the doctor's _enormous_ breasts pressed firmly against his chest.

Seemingly unaware of the effect her body was having on the young man, the brunette eventually pulled away and fixed him with a very serious expression. "Unfortunately, our discussion will have to wait. Miki informed me that you were able to heal yourself almost completely, which is something I can only assume is due to a supernatural ability. Now that you are in good health once more, I would be grateful if you would lend Black Label your assistance with a rather dire issue."

"You mean Sayo, right?" Ichigo asked.

Yuuko's eyes widened, but she quickly regained her composure. "Let me guess, something supernatural?"

The orange-head shrugged uncertainly, thinking back to the vision he'd had of the breathtaking woman from the garden. "You could say that, I guess. All I know is that whatever has happened to her, I won't let any of you lay a finger on her."

The well-endowed doctor sighed a bit dejectedly. "I hope you realize that we might not have any other option. Due to the severity of her injuries, the D99 in Sayo's bloodstream was forced into overdrive in an attempt to heal her as quickly as possible. However, her mind was apparently unable to handle the sudden increase in the virus' activity. She has gone insane, unable to distinguish between friend or foe. Our security footage from the underground levels has shown her attempting to find a way to reach the surface, so we were forced to lower the blast doors to keep her contained."

Ichigo threw his bedsheets aside and lowered himself to the floor, before padding over to the table where his personal clothes were neatly folded in a pile. "I get that, but that doesn't mean you have to give up on her. The Sayo I remember would rather hurt herself than dare injure an innocent person, and although she may be lost now, I get the feeling that she's still the same person deep down."

Yuuko smiled slightly at his optimism. "If you feel as though you will be able to bring her back to her senses, then you have my full permission to try. However, just know that if you fail, I will be forced to put her out of her misery."

The orange-head's eyes hardened. "And I just want _you_ to know that I won't let you hurt her, no matter what."

* * *

A phantom pain blossomed in her stomach.

Letting out a cry of momentary shock, Sayo brought a gauntlet-covered hand to her midsection and leaned against the nearest wall for support. The pain just kept coming and coming, and although her agony was great, it only served to further fuel her rage-induced mind.

After a minute or two, the pain finally stopped, and she was able to once again support her own weight.

Why did the suffering continue?

She vaguely remembered that she had killed the man originally responsible for her agony, so why was she still haunted by the scars he had left? Could it be that she still had yet to find all of those responsible for her torture?

Screaming in mixture of frustration and rage, the bluenette brought both of her hands up to clench her aching head. Trying to remember her past hurt her brain, and the fact that she was unable to recall who had hurt her infuriated her to no end.

A sword slashed through her memories, followed by the vision of long white hair.

Yes…that was it…

A woman had hurt her too, but she was still unable to recall the bitch's name. If she finally managed to kill the woman who had caused her such pain, would it finally end? Would the agony finally cease? At this point, Sayo hardly cared; all she knew was that she had just remembered her next target.

Snarling through her mask, the blue-haired woman made to continue on her trek, only to pause when yet another fragmented memory danced through her mind. Unlike the majority of her thoughts, which only brought sadness and fury, this particular memory made her feel a strange sense of momentary peace.

Orange hair.

Gentle brown eyes.

A reassuring smile.

Who was this man who made her agony fade away, even if only temporarily?

After she killed the white witch who drew her blood, would she be able to find him? And if she did, would his presence be enough to bring her back to serenity?

There was only one way to find out.

Letting loose a bellowing roar, Sayo Hitsugi charged forward down the dimly lit hallway once again.

* * *

Holding _Manus_ in his grasp, which he had managed to reclaim after his debriefing with the rest of Black Label, Ichigo carefully crept down the eerie corridors of the hospital's underground facility as quietly as he could.

Yuuko walked by his side, having been assigned as his temporary partner. The two of them would serve as one team, while another, consisting of Miki, Mikoto, and a girl named Oriha, surveyed a different sector. Doctor Mochizuki had surmised that the fastest way to find Sayo would be for them to split up and follow his instructions.

At the moment, the elderly doctor, along with his secretary Fiona, were presently stationed in the hospital's control room, keeping an eye out for the berserk bluenette with the multiple security cameras at their disposal.

Unfortunately, Sayo seemed to have retained enough of her tactical mind to destroy any cameras she came across, making their mission that much harder.

That being said, there was still a fairly obvious trail for them to follow, what with the fist-sized indentions in the walls lining the hallway.

Every single echo seemed to put Yuuko on edge, and Ichigo didn't really blame her. His own fight against Sayo in the harbor had more than proved that she was an extremely deadly combatant, and hearing that she had supposedly been able to temporarily hold her own against a vampire in a physical confrontation didn't make him feel any better.

Still, just because she was strong, it didn't mean she would try and kill them. The orange-head couldn't bring himself to accept the idea that his childhood friend was beyond saving, regardless of what doctor Mochizuki had told him about the side effects of the D99 virus.

"I realize that you care a great deal for Sayo," Yuuko suddenly spoke up, breaking his internal thoughts. "However, I cannot afford to let you put your personal feelings above the safety of the populace. If Hitsugi manages to escape to the surface level, there is no telling how many people she could injure or kill in her rage-induced state."

Ichigo remained silent, so the brunette continued. "I love her like a little sister, so this is just as hard for me to come to terms with as it is for you. I practically raised her by myself ever since she finished living with you and your family."

"If you love her so much, then why have you given up on her?" the orange-head snarked sarcastically.

"I haven't!" Yuuko hissed. "But there is no doubt in my mind that the D99 in her system which is driving her insane is causing her a great deal of mental anguish. If you cannot bring her back to her senses, then I will end her suffering myself by any means necessary."

Pausing mid-stride, the former Substitute whirled around and sent the busty doctor a fierce glare. "You talk about ending her pain like it's some noble thing, but I don't think you have any idea just how much worse you'll make things if you end her life while she's overcome with negativity. If she dies as she is now, then there's no doubt that she will become a Hollow, and that is something I _will not_ let happen."

"What's a Hollow?" Yuuko frowned.

"A Hollow is a spiritual creature born from the soul of a human who has died with any kind of regrets or negative emotions," Ichigo explained, turning back around and walking forward again. "Sometimes, the severity of these emotions can influence how powerful a Hollow becomes, and with the amount of rage I'm assuming is coursing through Sayo's mind right now, it's safe to say that she could potentially become a Hollow powerful enough to consume everyone in this city by herself."

The brunette's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off when Ichigo raised a hand and motioned for her to remain silent.

Further down the hallway, the sound of distant footsteps echoed, drawing closer and closer. Soon enough, Sayo herself emerged from the darkness, clad in nothing but an open hospital gown, along with her gauntlets and devil mask. Normally, Ichigo would have been absolutely mortified by the sight of a naked woman, but he couldn't afford to get embarrassed in this particular situation.

The bluenette continued to walk towards them until she was a few dozen feet away, where she finally came to a halt and tilted her head marginally to the side.

Behind him, Yuuko raised her katana in a battle-ready stance. However, Ichigo himself cautiously walked forward, speaking in a low and calming manner.

"Hey Sayo…it's definitely been a long time, hasn't it?"

The woman remained silent.

Swallowing the nervous lump that had formed in his throat, the former Substitute continued to slowly approach his childhood friend. "I know you probably feel pretty messed up right now, but I want you to know that we're here to help you. I don't want to hurt you, and I know you don't want to hurt anyone else, isn't that right?"

"Ichi…" the bluenette suddenly rasped through her mask. Her voice sounded frustrated and confused, almost as if it took every ounce of mental power she could summon just to remember his name.

"Yeah, that's right," Ichigo smiled, slowly sliding _Manus_ back into its scabbard so as not to spook her.

Sayo took a shaky step forward, but paused as she finally caught a glimpse of Yuuko. The swordswoman's hair had turned a pale shade of white once she'd adopted a fighting pose.

The bluenette growled ferociously.

That white hair…

It was the woman who'd hurt her all those years ago.

Letting out a roaring battle cry, Sayo lunged past Ichigo and cocked her fist back, fully intent of sending Yuuko's head flying off of her shoulders. However, before either woman could engage one another in battle, Ichigo phased between them faster than the human eye could track.

To Yuuko's utter shock, he drew _Manus_ once again and blocked the strike she'd prepared to deliver with her katana. What was even more surprising was the fact that he'd _caught_ Sayo's punch with nothing but his bare hand. Even so, the strain of holding both of them back was plainly visible, and the orange-head was shaking under their combined strength.

Pushing Sayo away several feet, he also made Yuuko herself take several steps backward when he reared his arm back and swung his own blade at her.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the doctor asked incredulously. "Get out of the way and let me finish this before it gets out of hand!"

"No."

"I warned you about letting your emotions get the better of you!" Yuuko shouted. "Sayo is currently a danger to herself, as well as everyone else in Tobioka City. The only people who even have a chance of stopping her are you and me, and since you refuse to accept that fact, it looks like it is up to me alone to put an end to her rampage. Now, move aside!"

"I sa **id NO!"** Ichigo snarled, his voice taking on a double-toned edge.

The sclera of his left eye bled into a midnight shade of black, while the iris in that same eye morphed into a powerful golden hue. His right eye remained normal, however.

" **I told you I won't let you hurt her!"** The orange-head roared angrily, lifting a finger and pointing directly at the ceiling between them. **"If you're too stubborn to let my try and calm her down, then you're just going to get in my way!"**

A small red and black orb of energy began to form at the tip of the young man's finger, and grew in size until it was as big as a golf ball.

" **Cero."**

The tiny Cero Ray flew forward and impacted the ceiling, creating a small explosion and raining debris down into the hallway. Despite the minuscule size of the attack, it definitely served its purpose. Now, Yuuko had no way to get to Sayo.

Ichigo snorted, and turned around to reengage his childhood friend. Unfortunately, she seemed to have made a break for it during all of the commotion.

" **Damn it, I gu** ess things really can't be easy," the former Substitute sighed, his voice and eye returning to normal. Sheathing _Manus_ once again, he prepared to track down Sayo for the second time, but an overwhelming spike of pain in his chest suddenly forced him to his knees. "W-What the hell…?!"

' **You damn idiot,'** a familiar voice spoke within his mind.

Ichigo blinked in surprise. "Zangetsu?"

' **No, it's Mickey Mouse…of course it's me, you fucking dumbass!'**

"I could live without the sarcasm."

' **Yeah? Well, you won't be living at all for much longer if you keep using up your Spiritual Energy like that. You don't have enough power to be showboating like that just yet. Now, thanks to your little stunt, you'll be weakened for a few hours.'**

"How weak are we talking?" the orange-head grimaced, slowly returning to his feet.

' **Weak enough that you won't be able to take any more punches from you deranged girlfriend,'** the Zanpakuto Spirit snarked.

Letting out a sigh, Ichigo took a brief moment to catch his breath before continuing forward down the hallway. "Then I guess I'll just have to be more careful. Sayo still needs my help, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let a little drop in power stop me."

' **Heh, if she heard you say those words herself, you'd probably have her gushing like a waterfall,'** Zangetsu snickered, before finally going silent once more.

Ignoring the vulgar Spirit's comment, the former Substitute looked at the ground, noticing a small drop of blood. Huh. Sayo was injured, meaning she would be even more dangerous now. At least he had a more definite trail to follow…

Judging by the size of the spatters of blood, the bluenette's wound was most likely rather small, but that didn't mean she would be any less pissed off about receiving it. Following the blood stains for what felt like nearly an hour, Ichigo finally entered what appeared to be some kind of an underground garden. There were flowers, bushes, and even a multitude of trees that stood tall underneath the artificial sunlight from above.

However, despite the beauty surrounding him, the orange-head still felt on edge.

After having experienced all of the battles he'd endured, he was easily able to tell when someone was watching him, even if he couldn't see them.

"I know you're out there Sayo!" he called into the dense foliage. "I promise I won't hurt you, so why don't you make this easier for us both and come on out!"

A twig snapped behind him, and Ichigo whirled around. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't fast enough to dodge the kick aimed at his side. Due to the fact that his Hierro still had yet to activate, he felt at least one rib crack, and the former Substitute let out a startled cry as he was launched across the grass. Rolling for several dozen feet, his momentum was finally halted when his back collided with a tree.

Ignoring the pain, Ichigo slowly picked himself up and spared a glance at his attacker.

It was Sayo, of course, and it looked like she'd managed to pick up a pair of mini-guns on her way here. How wonderful…

Throwing himself to the side, the orange-head just managed to avoid the hail of bullets that had been fired in his direction, which absolutely shredded the tree he'd collided with. Rolling through the brush, Ichigo ducked behind a sturdier tree just as the gunfire began to cut into the bark. After several moments of torrential fire, the bullets finally stopped coming.

Taking in several deep breaths of air, the former Substitute slowly stood up. "Hey Sayo, why do you wear that mask?"

Nothing but silence answered him.

Deciding to take a chance, Ichigo unstrapped _Manus_ from his back and threw the weapon to the side in a plainly obvious fashion, hoping the bluenette had seen it. "Do you remember that day, ten years ago?" he asked, stepping out from behind the tree and into the woman's line of sight.

No sooner than he did, did she once again raise her mini-guns and unleash yet another endless stream of gunfire. However, whether by luck or chance, none of the bullets even came close to the orange-head's body.

"Do you remember the promise that I made to you?" Ichigo continued, closing the distance between them, completely unfazed by the ammo being fired in his direction. "I certainly haven't forgotten it."

His arms came forward, enveloping his childhood friend in a strong embrace.

The bullets stopped.

" _One day, I'll get strong enough that you and my sisters will never have to cry again."_

Reaching up with a single hand, Ichigo gripped the side of Sayo's mask and tore it from her face, casting it aside to the ground. The woman let out a sudden cry of anguish, and dropped both of her weapons to the grassy floor. Bringing a gauntlet-covered hand up to cover her face, she used the other to roughly push the former Substitute away.

Landing harshly on the ground, Ichigo grimaced, and watched as one of his oldest friends continued to scream in a mixture of rage and sorrow. Not one to be deterred, the orange-head slowly began to haul himself to his feet once again. However, he paused as he heard something crunch underfoot. Looking down, he saw a fist-sized shard of glass under his shoe. Reaching out, he scooped up the fragment before finally returning to an upright stance.

"Yuuko was talking about how you'd be a danger to everyone in the city if you managed to escape," he said quietly. "But if you ask me, there's only one person in danger of getting hurt here."

Turning towards the young man as he continued to approach her, Sayo snarled and raised her fist, before sending it careening towards Ichigo's face. However, the punch never landed, and all that touched the former Substitute was the slight wind that the force behind the blow managed to generate.

The orange-head casually held up the shard of glass directly in front of her face.

The bluenette stared at her reflection with wide eyes.

There were tears streaming down her cheeks…

"I remember when you used to wear that old sweatshirt you found in my closet when we were kids," the orange-head gently said. "You always wore the hood up whenever you felt sad, and wanted to hide your tears. It looks like I was right in assuming that you wore that mask for the same reason. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to keep my promise…"

"You damn idiot…"

Ichigo blinked. "Hm?"

Sayo laughed bitterly and reached up to wipe her eyes. "Do you have any idea how badly I could have hurt you?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I always knew you were still yourself at heart. There was no way you would ever hurt me intentionally."

"So, you just decided to risk your life on nothing more than an assumption?"

"Hey, it worked didn't it? But seriously, I'm really sorry for not being around for all of these years. The last time we saw each other may have been a decade ago, but I still consider you to be one of my best friends…and I'll work as hard as I can to make up for all of that time we were apart."

Once again, Sayo laughed and shook her head. "I said it before, and I'll say it again…Ichigo Kurosaki, you are a _damn_ fool."

"Hey…" the young man frowned, preparing to deliver a retort. However, whatever comeback he'd had planned was silenced when the bluenette's hand darted forward and grasped a handful of his shirt.

"You are a fool," she repeated. "But I suppose that is why I love you…"

* * *

Yuuko let out a grunt as she finally moved the last of the rubble Ichigo had created.

Next to her, Miki rested her hands on her knees, bending over in an attempt to catch her breath.

After becoming separated from the orange-head, Yuuko had radioed the other search team to ask for assistance in clearing the hallway. Miki, along with Mikoto and Oriha, had arrived as quickly as possible, and although their combined efforts had made the job go much faster, there had still been a lot of debris to move.

There was no telling whether or not Ichigo would even still be alive at this point.

Standing up straight, the white-haired woman drew her katana and pointed in forward. "As tempting as taking a break sounds, it is something we cannot currently afford to do. Come along, we must get to Ichigo before he gets into too much trouble."

Both Mikoto and Oriha let out simultaneous groans, yet rose to their feet nonetheless.

Leading the small group down the hallway, Yuuko followed a long-since dried trail of blood, which eventually led into the gardens. There were several obvious signs of an intense struggle, what with the shredded vegetation and bullet holes dotting the ground. Scanning the area, the leader of Ampoule One felt a cold sensation take hold in her chest when her eyes landed on Ichigo's discarded sword.

Had Sayo already managed to get to him?!

A cry of surprise suddenly sounded off from further in the foliage. Her eyes going wide, Yuuko leapt into the brush, completely ignoring the calls from Miki to slow down. Pushing through the dense leaves, she finally came to a clearing, and raised her weapon in preparation to defend her young comrade.

However, the sight that greeted her vision nearly made her drop her sword in shock.

Sayo, now apparently back to normal, had Ichigo firmly pressed against the trunk of a tree. Her bare breasts were squished up against the young man's chest, and she was grinding her crotch against his left knee. Their lips were melded together in a furious display of passion, and Yuuko was fairly certain that the bluenette had forced her tongue into the orange-head's mouth.

Ichigo himself appeared to have been overcome with such an extreme amount of shock that he was now completely helpless to Sayo's ministrations, and he blankly stared ahead with slightly glazed over eyes.

As for Sayo, her eyes were closed in utter bliss.

Finally overcoming her initial surprise, Yuuko sighed softly and sheathed her katana. The sound of the weapon's hilt meeting the scabbard was apparently enough to finally catch Sayo's attention, and the blue-haired nurse reluctantly drew away from her still shell-shocked partner.

A thick trail of saliva briefly connected their lips, indicating that there had indeed been a decent amount of tongue action.

The bluenette smiled at her superior, and released Ichigo from her grasp. With nothing left to support his weight, the young man slowly slid down the trunk of the tree until he was sitting on the grass, still staring ahead in a transfixed daze.

"I remember that day, doctor," Sayo said, catching the older woman by surprise. "I don't know how, but my memories appear to have returned to me…you killed me, didn't you? Ten years ago?"

Yuuko idly heard Miki and the others break through the tree line.

"I did," she replied, feeling the beginnings of tears form in her eyes.

Sayo simply continued to smile. "But then you brought me back, right?"

"I did…"

The bluenette stepped forward, and wrapped her arms around the older woman in a strong embrace. "Thank you for giving me a second chance at life, Nee-san."

That finally did it.

Returning her subordinate's gesture of affection, Yuuko finally allowed her tears to fall. As much as Ichigo likely thought otherwise, the thought of having to kill Sayo had indeed torn a gaping hole in her heart. Now that the younger woman was back in her right of mind, the relief that the white-haired doctor felt was almost too much to bear.

Something suddenly shuffled in the grass, catching the attention of both women. Pulling away from one another, they turned to see that Ichigo had finally come down from his state of shock. However, the entirety of his face was still illuminated in a crimson blush.

Now that the severity of the situation had been dissolved, Yuuko couldn't help but crack a smile. "Why Ichigo, it appears as though you have captured a young woman's heart," she teased, causing his blush to deepen.

Much to his misfortune, Sayo saw fit to join in. "Aye Aye, he sure has…I hope he'll take responsibility for his actions."

The orange-head grumbled and looked away. His scowl deepened even further when he began to hear Zangetsu cheering him on from within his mind.

Letting out a light laugh, the bluenette quickly stepped forward and crouched down next to him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she used her enhanced strength to forcibly draw the side of his face against her generous bust. "Hey now, don't make that face Ichigo; you should be honored that a knockout such as myself his head over heels for you."

The former Substitute sputtered, much to the amusement of all four of the women present. "D-Don't get me wrong…I _am_ honored…but…"

Sayo raised a brow. "But what?"

"But you're too good for me," he sighed.

The bluenette scowled, and dug her gauntlet-covered knuckles into the orange-head's scalp. "Hey, don't start spouting any of that crap! It's up to _me_ who I choose to have feelings for, and I choose to have them for you, got it?"

Ichigo's expression softened considerably, but a gnawing sensation of guilt still clawed at the inside of his chest. He didn't understand why though; he had no _reason_ to even feel guilty. He wasn't in any kind of relationship, and the idea of pursuing one with his childhood sweetheart was more than a bit enticing.

Although…

Blonde hair and a bright smile flashed through his mind…

He was brought out of his contemplation when Sayo snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, audible concern tinting her voice.

The former Substitute smiled, and brought a hand around to run along the small of the bluenette's back. Her worry melted away, and she shivered pleasurably.

"I'm fine," he assured her. Turning to Yuuko, he was courteous enough to offer her a slightly sheepish expression. "Sorry about the garden…and the hallway…"

The older woman waved him off. "Don't be, you made the right call. I was wrong not to give your idea more of a chance than I did…thank you for bringing our friend back to us."

The rest of Ampoule One nodded in agreement, voicing their collective gratitude as well.

Sayo hummed in contentment, and nestled her head under Ichigo's chin. "Yeah, thanks for snapping me out of my funk."

The orange-head chuckled, and ran a hand through her hair. "It was my pleasure."

* * *

Nearly an hour later, and after he had been treated for his various bruises, Ichigo was once again laying in his hospital bed.

Sayo was cuddled up against his right side, having absolutely refused to part with him after their earlier confrontation. She had said something about making up for all of the lost time they had spent apart. Whatever the case may have been, he was glad for her company in the very least.

Suddenly, the bluenette raised her head, looking him in the eye. "So, are you gonna tell me who she is?" she questioned.

Ichigo's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who?"

She rolled her eyes, letting out a sigh. "Don't give me that; you hesitated earlier when I mentioned having feelings for you. There's another girl who's caught your attention, isn't there?"

The former Substitute let out a sigh. "I…I'm not even sure. She's been my partner on the majority of the missions I was assigned before coming to Tobioka City, and I thought there might have been something there…but…"

"What's her name?" Sayo asked, allowing a small smile to form.

"Seras Victoria."

"Seras, huh?" The bluenette repeated, rolling the name around on her tongue. "Sounds British."

"Well, she _is_ from London," Ichigo retorted sarcastically.

Sayo lightly smacked him on the chest, before hauling herself up to sit on his abdomen, effectively straddling him. "Do you care about her? Answer honestly."

He nodded. "I do."

"And do you care about me just as much?"

"Of course," he replied firmly.

The well-endowed nurse smiled. "I always felt as though your heart was too big to disappoint anyone. Even when we were kids, you always tried your best to make sure that everyone was happy, no matter the situation. If it turned out that this Seras did have an interest in you, would you be able to go on knowing you broke her heart?"

Ichigo snorted. "I don't even know if she actually feels anything for me. Besides, I wouldn't want to ruin the friendship we already have by trying to encourage something that might not even have any basis."

Sayo rolled her eyes. "Just humor me and answer the damn question. If she _does_ happen to have feelings for you, would you be okay with rejecting her for my sake?"

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, the orange-head reflected on everything he knew Seras had already endured since he'd met her. She had nearly been raped by a homicidal vampire priest, she'd literally shot through the heart by Alucard, and then subsequently turned into an undead nightwalker. After that, she had nearly been killed by Alexander Anderson, and that didn't even _begin_ to cover everything that they had endured during the attack on Hellsing Manor.

He had served as her anchor to her remaining humanity throughout everything she had gone through, and if he were to cast her aside in favor of Sayo, then she might very well break entirely. Also, the image of his blonde partner sobbing her eyes out did not sit well with him in the slightest.

"No," he finally responded. "I don't think I would be."

The bluenette smiled, leaning forward to place a kiss on the tip of his nose. "I didn't think so. Look, before anything is set in stone, I think you need to have a heart to heart with this girl and get all of your emotions out in the open. If it turns out that she _does_ want to be with you, then the three of us can sit down and come to some kind of arrangement."

Ichigo's eyes widened incredulously. "What, you mean like _sharing_?"

Sayo shrugged. "If that's what it comes to, then yes. I for one am confident that you have enough love and compassion in your heart for more than one person, and if Seras is willing to be a part of this, then I certainly won't try and stop her."

"Are you sure you're okay with something like that?"

"Ichigo, honey, if I weren't, then I wouldn't have suggested it. Like I said though, nothing is concrete yet; we'll have to see what your friend thinks about all of this."

Letting out a sigh, the former Substitute turned his gaze back up to the ceiling. The idea of having one girlfriend, who was also his childhood friend, was already mind-boggling enough. Thinking about having _two_ romantic partners was more than a little overwhelming. However, as Sayo had said, he didn't think he'd have it in him to deny Seras if it actually turned out she was interested.

The bluenette smirked, before leaning forward and capturing her new lover's lips with her own. After a brief moment, she slowly pulled away, and silently relished in the way the young man's face turned an almost atomic shade of red.

"It won't do you any good to worry about it now," she purred, wetting her upper lip with her tongue. "For now, just focus on _me…_ "

* * *

Several hours later, and after _several_ intense sessions of heavy petting, Ichigo had finally been deemed well enough to return to his hotel.

Before he'd left the hospital, he and Sayo had spoken about the change in their relationship. Despite the fact that she was an incredible tease and an insatiable flirt, the bluenette had freely admitted that she wasn't quite ready to be fully intimate yet. For that, Ichigo was silently glad; he'd probably have had a heart attack if she'd even proposed the very _idea_ of having sex already.

Instead, they had both agreed to take their time and wait until they were completely ready.

Yuuko had also seen fit to give him a very stern warning that promised divine justice if he ever had the gall to break Sayo's heart. After assuring the busty doctor that he had no intention of doing so, she had offered him a small smile, accompanied by a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek. She had also decided to provide him with her personal contact information, so that they could exchange information regarding the supernatural at a later date. They were both far too exhausted to do so presently.

The rest of Black Label had offered their gratitude and goodbyes in a far less physical manner.

Chuckling lightly, Ichigo finally entered the lobby of the hotel and made his way to the elevator. Pressing the button for the penthouse, he silently enjoyed the brief ride before the doors opened and deposited him at his destination. Knocking on the door, he patiently waited for a response.

Not even a full minute later, the door swung open, revealing a _clearly_ sleep-deprived Pip Bernadotte. The Frenchman froze in a moment of momentary surprise, and his cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth.

"What, do I have something on my face?" the orange-head snorted.

"Ichigo!" Pip finally shouted, surging forward and pulling his partner into a manly hug. " _Dieu merci,_ we never thought you were going to get out of that damn hospital! How are you feeling?"

The former Substitute awkwardly patted the one-eyed man on the back. "I'm good, just a little sore…"

Pulling away, Pip's expression grew serious, and he firmly grasped the younger Hellsing agent by the shoulders. "It's a good thing you came back when you did; we've got a big problem."

Ichigo frowned. "What happened?"

"Detective Suzue has been kidnapped…"

"What?!"

Despite the fact that they'd only known each other for a very short time, Ichigo truly considered Konomi to be a good friend. The thought of her being in trouble, especially considering the kind of activity that occurred in Tobioka City, was enough to make his blood boil furiously.

Pip nodded gravely, leading his partner further into the penthouse. "Unfortunately, it is true. Police reports indicate that she failed to come into work yesterday morning, and earlier today several witnesses came forward and claimed that they saw an unconscious orange-haired young woman being loaded into a van by several men."

Ichigo's fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked from the pressure. "Is there any more information?"

"Yeah, there was apparently a woman accompanying the men. Facial descriptions managed to confirm her as being some chick named 'Goryu.' From what I've gathered, she works for some major crime boss who is absolutely obsessed with that Platinum Lily junk."

"What do the police plan on doing about it?"

Pip sneered. "They said that despite the confirmation of Goryu's involvement, they need more evidence before they can launch a search and rescue. I told them that was bullshit, so they kicked me out of the station."

Ichigo's expression darkened. "Fine, then it looks like I need to make a couple of calls."

The Frenchman's sour look morphed into a slight grin. "What, do you plan on gathering a battalion and charging in guns a blazing? If so, then count me the fuck in."

The orange-head snorted, before reaching into his pocket and withdrawing his phone. Before he'd left the hospital, Sayo had insisted that they exchange contact information. Now, he was extremely glad that she'd had such an idea.

Dialing her number, he brought the device up to his ear.

" _Well hello baby,"_ then bluenette's voice purred over the line. _"I've gotta say, I'm a little surprised that you're already calling me so soon. Do you miss me that much?"_

"That, and I need your help," Ichigo replied.

" _What's up?"_

"Have you ever heard of a woman named Konomi Suzue?"

" _Green eyes, big tits, orange hair?"_ Sayo snickered. _"Works on the police force? Yeah, I've heard of her; she's partners with that one detective who is obsessed with bringing Black Label down, right?"_

"Yeah, that's her," the orange-head confirmed. "She was kidnapped yesterday by a woman named Goryu, and since the police are too incompetent to get off their asses and go rescue her, I plan on gathering some friends and going myself."

" _Goryu, huh?"_ his girlfriend snarled. _"That bimbo works for the slimiest rat in the entire fucking city. If Detective Suzue was kidnapped by her, then she's most likely planning on offering her up to Tobishiro as a gift."_

"Well, I'm not going to let that happen," Ichigo growled.

" _Just so you know, hearing you talk like that is a real turn on,"_ Sayo chuckled. _"But don't worry, I'll talk to Yuuko and Doctor Mochizuki. I highly doubt they'll turn down a chance to save an innocent woman while taking Tobishiro down at the same time."_

The former Substitute smiled softly. "Thank you Sayo, you're the best."

" _And don't you forget it!"_ she replied cheerily. _"Love ya!"_

Despite the severity of the situation, Ichigo couldn't help but blush. "Yeah, you too."

The call went silent, and he pulled his phone away from his ear to dial another number. After nearly a minute of ringing, he finally received an answer. _"Kugo Ginjo is the name, and getting ladies is my game! Who is this, and how can I help you?"_

The orange-head rolled his eyes. "Kugo, it's me."

" _Ichigo? Well hot damn, it's about freakin' time you sent a call my way. I was beginning to think that you were going to reject my offer."_

"I'm not calling about that; I need a favor."

" _Favors come at a high price kid. What's the deal?"_ the Fullbringer asked.

"One of my friends has been kidnapped by a local crime boss, and I need your help to get her back," Ichigo replied.

" _Really? That's a damn shame, but I hate to tell you that I won't be able to get involved."_

"What? Why not?!" the young man shouted into the phone.

" _Tone it down, would ya?"_ Kugo complained halfheartedly. _"Look, I can't ask my people to get involved in every little issue that happens in this God forsaken city. The only reason Jackie and I helped out your friends last night was because we happened to be in the area. I assume they told you about that?"_

"Yeah, they did," Ichigo retorted. "So why won't you help me now?"

" _Because, as cruel as it may sound, I value my own associates' lives more than one detective's. However, because I like you so much, there might be another way I can give you a little extra support."_

"Explain."

" _Well, I have an old friend who happens to owe me a favor. She and her employees are currently stationed in Kyoto, and just finished one of their own personal assignments. Think of them like a less governmentally sanctioned version of the Hellsing Organization,"_ Kugo responded. _"They have a particular hatred for vampires, and given that Jackie and I walked in on two of them beating your friends into paste, I'm fairly confident in assuming that my friend will agree to help you."_

"Fine, just give her a call and tell her to come to Tobioka City," Ichigo growled, still fairly pissed that the Fullbringer refused to help personally.

" _Will do! And don't forget to give me another call if you decide you want some Fullbring training,"_ the older man replied cheerily, before abruptly ending the call.

Taking the phone away from his ear, the former Substitute glared at it for a brief moment before pocketing it once again.

He and Pip had a lot of planning to do.

* * *

A cloud of smoke slowly drifted through the air.

When she was a little girl, she would have coughed and wheezed at the offensive smell. Now, however, the cigar in her mouth brought a welcomed sense of comfort.

Turning her head to gaze out through her motel window, the blonde woman felt her lip curl in disgust. Kyoto, despite appearances, had until recently been home to a nest of ravenous bloodsuckers. The authorities had chalked up all of their victims to mere animal attacks…what utter fools they had been.

It had been up to her and her subordinates to purge the area of the undead monsters, and they had done so with more than a little bit of satisfaction. The only good vampire was a _dead_ vampire, after all. Her personal phone suddenly rang, interrupting her train of thought. Glancing at the caller ID, the blonde let out a resigned sigh and brought the device up to her ear.

"What do you want?"

" _Balalaika! It's been so long! How are you doing?"_ Kugo Ginjo's annoying voice rang in the Russian woman's ear.

"You have exactly fifteen seconds to tell me why you decided to ruin my evening before I hang up on you," she replied evenly.

" _Ouch…talk about harsh,"_ the irritating man grumbled. _"Fine; have you ever heard of a young man by the name of Ichigo Kurosaki?"_

 _That_ certainly caught Balalaika's attention. "Integra's newest pet? What about him?"

" _He's in a spot of trouble, and needs some backup to support him. I know you wouldn't normally give something like this a second thought, but you'll probably be interested to hear that I ran into a couple of vampires last night. And, if my gut is correct, they're most likely involved with the people who have caused Ichigo to request my aid."_

The scarred woman sighed, and extinguished her cigar in the ashtray next to her chair. "Is this you calling in your favor?"

" _It is,"_ Kugo confirmed.

"Very well then," Balalaika relented. "My girls and I should be able to make it to Tobioka City by noon tomorrow."

* * *

 **And there we have it.**

 **Ichigo and Sayo are now in a confirmed relationship.**

 **When I first watched** _ **Triage X,**_ **I got the impression that Sayo wouldn't be extremely opposed to the idea of having to share a romantic partner. That isn't to say that she is slutty, but instead simply open minded. She's from a harem anime, after all. That being said, will Seras be able to come to terms with the fact that there is another woman who already occupies a place in Ichigo's heart? I guess you'll just have to wait and see…**

 **Through his portrayal in the actual manga and anime, as well as how he is depicted in numerous fanfiction stories, I have always viewed Ichigo as the kind of person who wants everyone to be happy. Therefore, with the right amount of coaxing and encouragement, I believe he could accept having multiple partners. Interestingly enough, most of you guys actually seem to support the idea of a harem for this story.**

 **However, if this story does indeed include a harem, then I want to illustrate that Ichigo feels genuine love for each of his partners. He is not the type of guy who collects girls just for the sake of doing so. I suppose that is why I initially hated Issei from** _ **High School DxD**_ **so much…**

 **That aside, you do you guys think the mysterious woman from Ichigo's dream/vision was? There have been several hints in this chapter, along with the previous one.**

 **Also, as you can undoubtedly tell, we will be seeing a few characters from** _ **Black Lagoon**_ **in the next chapter. However, I will be using at least four characters from multiple organizations within that series to create my own original team. One team member might be from the Lagoon Company, while another might come from the Church of Violence. You get the idea.**

 **Now then, as far as my portrayal of Bambietta is concerned, I will go ahead and say that she will be noticeably different than in canon. My goal is to have her serve as a sympathetic villain, and as such, she will be less violent and bloodthirsty than in the actual manga. She will still enjoy fighting and violence to a noticeable degree, but not as much as she did in the source material.**

 **Now then, let's take a look at the pairing poll:**

 **Seras Victoria (Crimson Soul): 37 votes**

 **Sayo Hitsugi (Friends to Lovers): 25 votes (now canon)**

 **Integra Hellsing (Scowl TM): 25 votes**

 **Yuuko Sagiri: (Sexual Healing): 22 votes**

 **Zorin Blitz (Blood Orange): 14 votes**

 **Konomi Suzue: 13 votes**

 **Kalawarner: 11 votes**

 **Raynare: 10 votes**

 **Yuebelluna: 9 votes**

 **Rias Gremory: 8 votes**

 **Akeno Himejima: 8 votes**

 **Katerea Leviathan: 8 votes**

 **Goryu: 7 votes**

 **Tiamat: 7 votes**

 **Rip van Winkle: 5 votes**

 **Yumiko Takagi: 5 votes**

 **As you can see, I have added Goryu to the pairing poll. Several people have messaged me saying how they feel as though she deserves better than the life she has been forced to endure under Tobishiro. Therefore, she is now in the running.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Straight Outta Roanapur

* * *

 **Hey guys!**

 **As always, the love that you all continue to give this story still warms my heart, and I am grateful that each and every one of you have stuck with me for as long as you have. That being said, some people are still quite clearly anxious to get back to the** _ **Hellsing**_ **storyline, so I will go ahead and confirm that the** _ **Triage X Mini-Arc**_ **is nearly complete. You can expect perhaps three or four more chapters before Ichigo and Pip return to London.**

 **However, that number may change depending on what all I cover in this particular chapter. I know some of you are most likely tired of the** _ **Triage X Arc,**_ **but it is necessary to the future events of the story. I will take as much time is needed, and as many chapters as I need to, to set the stage for what will come later on down the line. This Arc** _ **IS**_ **almost over, but there are still a few things that need to happen.**

 **Be patient, and I assure you that you shall be rewarded. We are not done with Seras, Walter, and the others from Hellsing.**

 **That being said, let me remind you that this is indeed a fanfiction, and as such I will be deviating from canon to a noticeable degree. I still plan to follow the original** _ **Hellsing**_ **plot line, but that in turn will only serve to be part of what I hope to be an extended universe.**

 **Keep in mind, I still haven't properly integrated** _ **High School DxD**_ **into the story yet, and that will indeed still be happening. It will play an incredibly vital role in my future plans.**

 **Also, before we get into the story, I would like to apologize for not being able to dedicate as much time to my writing as I would like to. I recently moved across the country, and that was both a physical and emotionally taxing ordeal. School will also be starting up soon, but just know that while updates may not occur often, they will eventually happen. I love these stories too much to not give them as much attention as I can.**

 **Now then, who's ready for some Two Hands? Fair warning, due to Revy's appearance in this chapter, the language will get pretty explicit. I assume that most of you are sensible adults that can handle it, but in these modern times you can never be too sure.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

A pair of smooth hands gently moved through his hair.

Ichigo's face scrunched up briefly as he finally opened his eyes, and became aware of his surroundings. The calls of various birds echoed all around him, and a light breeze blew through the area, ruffling the leaves in the trees. As far as he could remember, he had not fallen asleep outdoors, and that could only mean one thing…

"So, it wasn't a dream after all," he mused aloud.

A musical voice laughed gently, and the fingers running along his scalp paused in their ministrations, much to his begrudging disappointment.

"No, t'was not a dream at all, child," the woman from the previous evening tittered. "It is not often that We allow mortal individuals to enter Our sacred garden more than once…but then again, you _are_ a rather special exception."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed, and he pushed himself up into a sitting position. Looking his mysterious companion directly in the eye, he still couldn't deny the absolutely inhuman beauty she possessed. "Who are you, really?"

She raised a finely manicured brow. "Even after all this time, and after all of the hints surrounding you, you still do not know? We suppose it is not too surprising; you were never very good at seeing the obvious, after all…"

The orange-head grunted under his breath at the thinly veiled jab, prompting the woman to let out another amused chuckle.

"Very well," she smiled, "if you wish to know Our name, then We shall speak it to you directly. We are the Mother of the East. We are She who Shines in the Heavens. We are the Empress of Takama-Ga-Hara, and the life-giver to all of Our children."

Ichigo's eyes slowly widened as the realization finally dawned on him. All this time, he had been speaking to one of the most powerful entities in the Shinto religion, and perhaps the most revered figure to exist in Japanese mythology.

Integra had warned him that the supernatural world extended well beyond the existence of the Soul Society and vampires, but at the time he hadn't elected to really give her words of caution any merit.

Now, he was solely regretting it…

For the living goddess sitting next to him on the grass was none other than the alleged mother of all Japanese royalty…Amaterasu herself.

"Holy shit…" he blurted in a hushed whisper.

Amaterasu raised an elegant brow at his choice of words. "Indeed; We were beginning to get rather curious as to why you did not recognize Us. Surely, the mortals in Our realm still educate their children of the one who rules over them all, do they not?"

The orange-head scratched the back of his neck a bit awkwardly. "No, they do…but only the really religious folks. Most people think the gods are nothing more than stories meant to keep them from misbehaving.

The heavenly woman let out a disappointed sigh, reaching out to smooth out a wrinkle in her pristine white priestess robes. "Such a shame…there was a time when We and Our brothers were loved nearly as much by the people as we loved them. But, then again, We suppose it _has_ been several millennia since We last truly revealed Our full glory on the mortal plane…"

Turning back to Ichigo, her expression softened, and she suddenly reached forward to caress his right cheek. The young man went deathly still; he knew there was no reason to be afraid of her, but Amaterasu could still easily one-shot both Aizen and Yamamoto simultaneously with only one finger.

That kind of power, no matter who it was possessed by, merited at least some level of hesitance.

"You have made Us so very proud, darling Child," she cooed, bringing up her remaining hand to cradle his jawline. "You have fought so hard, and from such an early age, to ensure that those you love and care for are kept safe from harm. It warmed Our heart to witness you bring your blue-haired lover to her senses…even when all others present deemed her far beyond saving."

Ichigo grumbled. "She's not my lover…just my girlfriend…"

Amaterasu's expression flattened. "Child, when We still personally ruled over the mortal realm, two individuals who were in the process of courting one another were called lovers. She is your lover. Understand?"

The orange-head grunted, and his eyes flickered off to the side. "Yeah well…I still have another friend who still needs saving."

The goddess let out a soft sigh. "Indeed; Konomi Suzue is most certainly in need of your aid. Her current predicament is not one We would wish upon any of Our enemies, no matter how heinous their actions…"

Ichigo's eyes snapped back to Amaterasu's face. "You can see what's happening to her?!"

She nodded. "Of course We can, everything in the Shinto realm is Ours to see."

"Can you help her?"

"We cannot. Deities are forbidden to interfere in the affair of mortals, no matter how distasteful or pitiable we find their situation to be. We can only step in if the situation is extremely dire and has the potential to influence all of creation."

Swearing, the former Substitute wrenched his face out of Amaterasu's hands and turned away, stomping across the grassy clearing. "This always happens!" he shouted in a clear mixture of rage, frustration, worry, and sorrow. "Whenever I get close to someone, bad things always start to happen! First it was my mother, then Rukia, then Orihime, then _everyone_ in Karakura Town, then Sayo, and now Konomi! I'm a fucking curse!"

Ichigo's rant was suddenly brought to a screeching halt when the heat in the area increased nearly twentyfold. The grass and foliage surrounding the clearing began to smolder and burn away, and the air itself grew heavy under the absolutely insane temperature. Slowly, the young man turned around, and was met with what was easily the most beautiful _and_ terrifying sight he had ever laid eyes upon.

Amaterasu's silky black hair was now a wreath of white-hot flames, and her eyes burned brighter than any fire he had ever seen, including those of Yamamoto's Zanpakuto. And what was even more terrifying was that she looked positively furious.

Slowly, the goddess stalked forward, until she was only mere inches from Ichigo. The orange-head was absolutely dripping with sweat, and if the furious deity were to get any closer, then he would in all likelihood combust on the spot.

" **We will not hear you speaking ill of yourself** _ **boy,**_ **is that understood?"** she boomed, her voice a far cry from the silky and soothing tone she had previously displayed. **"You have done far more good in this world than any mortal your age could ever** _ **hope**_ **of accomplishing. You have changed the hearts of the cold, you have stopped monsters from destroying that which you hold dear, and you have earned a place in the hearts of several maidens with your honor and courage. You are not a curse, do you hear Us? With great power comes even greater risks, but it is thanks to those around you that you can continue to grow stronger to overcome those evils. They understand the risks, yet they welcome them wholly if it means being able to continue supporting you."**

Ichigo swallowed nervously, and hesitantly nodded. "I-I understand…"

Amaterasu's glare remained for several more seconds, before finally the flames in her hair and eyes were extinguished, and she returned once more to her normal appearance. "Good. Never tell yourself that your presence in this world is a burden. You bring your allies strength with your sword, and they you with their support. The battles will never cease, but they will serve to give you more strength to protect those you care about."

The orange-head blinked. "Huh…I never really thought about it that way…"

The goddess rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Of course you didn't, you are a man. And strong as they may be, most men are _overwhelmingly_ stubborn and thick-headed. Now then, as much as We would enjoy cradling you in Our arms for the rest of eternity, you are needed back in the Mortal Plane. And We dare say that you will be in for a treat once you awaken…"

Ichigo frowned, and opened his mouth to ask her what she meant. But, before he could do so, the garden of Takama-Ga-Hara and Amaterasu vanished, and he was plunged into a void of darkness.

* * *

His vision was blurry as he opened his eyes, but the one thing Ichigo became instantly aware of was that there was a soft, wet sensation trailing up and down the side of his throat. Blue hair and soft curves registered to his senses, and he quickly realized what was going on.

Opening his mouth to let out an exasperated groan, the orange-head instead turned a decent shade of red when a guttural moan came out as his girlfriend nibbled against his collarbone. He could even feel the damn woman smirking against his skin.

Well, if anything, this was certainly a pleasant way to wake up…

He wouldn't mind getting used to it at all.

"Good morning handsome," Sayo purred huskily, trailing her lips and the tip of her nose along her boyfriend's neck, before pulling away slightly to properly face him. Currently, the bluenette was straddling the orange-head, and her hands were pinning his wrists against the mattress. And of course, with her enhanced strength, she could easily hold him there for the entire day if she so desired.

"Morning to you too," Ichigo rasped.

Grinning, Sayo rubbed her crotch against his bare abdominals. To both his frustration and relief, she was still wearing her typical nurse's garb, but that still only left a few layers of fabric between true bodily contact.

"If you keep doing that, we may end up being in here longer than we need too…" the former Substitute groaned.

"And is that such a bad thing?" she asked innocently, pouting in a way that would have made any lesser man cave instantly. Ichigo would have too, if not for the serious mission that was going to occur in only a few hours.

"Normally? No," he admitted, using all of the strength his weakened state provided to push himself into a sitting position. This, of course, brought him both face-to-face and chest-to-boobs with the woman sitting on top of him. "Today, however, we both need to have our game faces on. I take it that the rest of Black Label is here too?"

Sayo sighed, but nodded nonetheless. "Yuuko and Miki are in the main room talking strategy with your French friend. I honestly thought Mikoto was going to fill him with holes when we first got here…I suppose she's still pretty sore that he basically handed her her own ass on a silver platter. He also put Arashi in the Intensive Care Unit, so I guess that didn't help any either…"

Ichigo grunted. "Probably not. Now let me up, we need to get ready for the others."

The bluenette frowned. "Others? What others?"

"I called in a favor from a…friend…and he put me into contact with a group of his acquaintances," the former Substitute replied, pushing himself up off of the bed as his girlfriend got off of him. "They agreed to meet with us and help us rescue Konomi. And, if what I was told was correct, they're expert vampire hunters."

"Aren't you and your partner already supposed to be our resident supernatural experts?" Sayo questioned curiously.

Ichigo let out an amused snort. "I'm far from an expert on anything. All I do it get pointed in the right direction, and then fight anything that is stupid or brave enough to get in my way. That reminds me…I still need to give that advice to Yuuko…"

Bending over to scoop his shirt up off of the floor, the orange-head pulled it over his head and quickly smoothed out any of the wrinkles in the fabric. And, after putting on his brown leather jacket, he picked up _Manus_ from its position leaning against the wall and fastened it securely in its scabbard, before securing the sheathed blade against his back. Turning to his girlfriend, he held out his arms and raised an eyebrow. "How do I look?"

Sayo bit her lip as her eyes hungrily roved over him. " _Delicious…_ "

"Not the answer I was going for, but I'll take it," Ichigo shrugged, wrapping an arm around her waist before guiding them out of his room and into the main space of the penthouse.

As Sayo had said, Pip, Yuuko, and Miki were all gathered at the coffee table, presumably going over everything both parties knew about the criminals that would be involved in the rescue operation. The orange-head was quite surprised how easily his partner had accepted the fact that their new allies were the same people they'd fought tooth and nail against only a few nights ago. Then again, the situation had changed dramatically since then, and therefore any previous grudges or grievances had to be forgotten.

However, that certainly didn't stop Mikoto from giving the Frenchman the most vicious glare Ichigo had ever seen…and this was coming from somebody who knew the likes of Kenpachi and Grimmjow…

Oriha had apparently been content to help herself to whatever food was in the fridge while everyone else was preoccupied, and she currently sat at the bar in the kitchen; eating a slice of cake while looking quite pleased with herself for having discovered such a treat.

Content with ignoring the heated glare he was receiving, Pip looked up and greeted his partner with a smile. "Ah, good to see that you are finally awake Ichigo. When your lady friend here volunteered to go and get you, I thought the two of you would have been occupied for far longer."

"That was the original idea…" Sayo grumbled under her breath.

Gently pinching the bluenette's side, Ichigo stepped away from her and over to the table where the older individuals in the room were gathered. "What have you guys come up with so far?" he asked.

Pip snorted. "Well, as _interesting_ as your idea to run in guns a blazing was…Yuuko here suggested that we divide into at least three teams to cover more ground. Also, if one team is discovered, then they will most likely draw any potential attention away from the others, making their job all the easier."

The orange-head nodded. "Sounds like a solid strategy. Have you heard anything from our other contacts? I want to know what each of their specialties are before we assign any teams."

Yuuko sighed and shook her head in the negative. "No, we have not. Mister Bernadotte and I have both attempted to contact these mysterious friends of Mister Ginjo several times in the past few minutes, but we never received any form of answer. My best assumption would be that they are either not in a position to accept a call, or they are purposefully ignoring our attempts at communication."

Ichigo growled under his breath at the news, before letting out a resigned sigh and flopping backwards into the nearest chair. "We'll give them a few more minutes to get here, but if they don't show up by the scheduled time, we'll just have to go ahead without them…"

Sayo quickly lowered herself into her boyfriend's lap and soothingly rubbed his shoulders.

Pip muttered something under his breath about lucky bastards and big-breasted women, before finally deciding to address the elephant in the room. "All right then _petite fille,"_ he sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and turning to face Mikoto. "What's with that sour face you've been giving me?"

The silver-haired girl let out a snarl. "You beat me into unconsciousness and broke my partner's arm. What the fuck do you _think_ is wrong?"

The Frenchman held up his hands in a gesture of placation. "Eh, I'm sorry about that, but you kids were my mission. No hard feelings though, right?"

Mikoto lunged up from her seat and prepared to fling herself right at the unapologetic Hellsing agent, but a gentle hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. Miki, ever the voice of reason, forced her younger comrade back down into the chair.

"I am just as upset about Arashi's condition as you are, but we need to put aside our grievances and focus on the new mission," she stated firmly, leaving absolutely no room for argument. "You don't have to like Mister Bernadotte in the slightest, but I expect you to work with him as professionally as you can. Is that understood?"

Deflating under the violet-haired woman's glare, Mikoto hesitantly nodded in acceptance.

Miki nodded in satisfaction, before whirling around on Pip, who flinched slightly despite himself. "And you…I would appreciate it if you would refrain from purposefully antagonizing any of my teammates," she threatened none too subtly. "Arashi is a dear friend to all of us, and his condition has made us all a bit more trigger happy than we normally are…if you understand my meaning."

The Frenchman slowly took a step backward and raised him hands again. " _Oui, je comprends…_ I won't bother you any more than necessary."

Glaring at the long-haired man for several more moments, Miki eventually let out a sigh before walking into the kitchen and helping herself to a drink. Now that she had her back turned, Mikoto turned to Pip one final time and gave him a double middle finger. He simply stuck his tongue out at her in response.

Oriha giggled at the display.

Yuuko merely rolled her eyes in exasperation.

Silence fell fairly quickly throughout the penthouse, and as the minutes continued to tick by, everyone tried to occupy themselves as best they could until the rest of the rescue party arrived. Miki sat down with a beer in hand, while Mikoto continued to sulk on the far end of the large couch in the center of the room.

Ichigo impatiently drummed his fingers against the armrest of his own chair, while Sayo, still sitting in his lap, did her best to help him relax.

Both Pip and Yuuko were leaning against the bar with their arms folded across their chests, while Oriha continued to merrily munch on the goodies she'd raided from the refrigerator.

Finally, after nearly fifteen minutes of nothingness had passed, Ichigo let out a frustrated sigh. "They're late…"

"You're just realizing this now?" Pip snorted sarcastically.

Giving his girlfriend a gentle nudge, the orange-head rose from his seat once she'd gotten off of him. "We can't afford to waste any more time waiting on them," he stated firmly. "Grab whatever gear you think you'll need, and we'll discuss the team assignments on the way there."

Yuuko picked her sheathed katana up off of the countertop she'd been leaning against and fastened it securely to her hip. "I agree. There is no point in wasting our time waiting for individuals who clearly do not care enough about the situation enough to be on time. Ichigo, from here on out, I will be temporarily transferring leadership of Ampoule One to you."

 _That_ certainly surprised everyone in the room, but none more so than the former Substitute himself.

"M-Me? Why?" he asked, clear shock evident in his tone.

Yuuko merely raised an elegant brow. "Is it not fairly obvious? You are the one who organized this whole rescue operation, therefore I feel it should be you who commands all of us involved. The two of us may not have spoken for over a decade, but in these past few days I have been able to sense that you carry a leader's resolve, and an unwavering desire to ensure that everyone remains free of harm. You proved that to me especially when you stood up for Sayo…"

The aforementioned bluenette flinched slightly at the reminder of her mindless rampage the day before, which in turn prompted Ichigo to wrap a comforting arm around her shoulder.

Seeing as how her young friend seemed content to console his girlfriend instead of voicing a response, Yuuko continued. "Above all else, the greatest quality that a leader can possess is their concern for their subordinates, as well as everyone else around them. Someone who rules through fear and intimidation, like Tobishiro, is not a leader…he is a tyrant. You however, care for every single person in this room. You may not even be aware of it, but it is quite obvious to the trained eye."

"How so?" the orange-head questioned.

"Well, aside from the obvious fact that you are currently attempting to console Sayo, I have noticed that your eyes have been randomly shifting to each of us during the past few minutes. I have done the very same thing almost every time Black Label has been assigned a new mission. You were gauging our well-being, and seeing whether or not we were fit for the upcoming task."

Pip, standing off to the side, grinned wryly. "Awww, so you _do_ care Ichigo…"

Oriha laughed at that, and even Miki cracked a small smile.

Rolling her eyes, Yuuko continued again. "All in all, I am confident that you are a very capable young man, and I would not trust my comrades' safety to anyone else in this kind of scenario. Do you accept my proposal?"

Blinking away the last remnants of his surprise, Ichigo's expression hardened, and he nodded in resolve. "Yeah, I do. Thanks Doc…"

The brunette waved his gratitude off easily, although a bit of red still dusted across her cheeks. "Oh, don't mention it. You can properly thank me after this whole mess by finally sitting down with me and discussing what we talked about last night."

Smiling, the orange-head gave his girlfriend's shoulder one more squeeze, before stepping away and turning to address the collection of individuals in the room. "Alright then. Like I said, grab whatever gear you think you might need and get ready to head out. Kugo's friends obviously aren't coming, so I guess we'll just have to improvise."

Everyone either nodded or voiced their agreement.

Pip holstered his pistols against his waist.

Yuuko's grip tightened on her katana's hilt.

Sayo flexed her gauntlet-covered fingers and slid her twin mini-guns into their holsters.

Miki's sniper rifle was slung across her back.

Mikoto slid her own pistols into their holsters.

And, finally, Oriha did a last-minute check of her various explosive devices.

After everyone either gave him a thumbs up or an additional sign of confirmation, Ichigo nodded and turned to head towards the front door of the penthouse. "Let's get this show on the road."

Reaching out for the doorknob, the orange-head prepared to turn it. However, much to his surprise, the door was suddenly yanked open from the other side, throwing his sense of balance for a loop. Toppling forward through the doorway and into the hall, Ichigo let out a grunt when he collided with something warm and solid, before both he and the mysterious object tumbled to the hard floor.

He heard a muffled curse, along with something akin to laughter, and groggily attempted to open his eyes. However, as he did so, he noticed that his world was still encompassed by nothing but complete darkness. Oddly enough, whatever it was that his face was pressed against was quite soft and comfortable…

A snarl ripped through the air, and before Ichigo could even register what was going on, a pair of feet were firmly planted in his stomach, and he was launched back through the doorway and into the main room of the penthouse. He landed harshly on the wooden coffee table, which easily fell to pieces under his weight and the force behind his propulsion.

He heard Sayo cry out his name in worry, and the former Substitute attempted to rise to his feet and assure her that he was alright. However, before he could even move so much as a single muscle, a weight settled harshly on his stomach, and something cool and metallic was pressed against the underside of his chin.

"Alright you carrot-topped cunt, I hoped that little grope session was fucking enjoyable for you, because it'll be the last thing you ever do!"

Carefully, Ichigo looked up to analyze the enraged brunette sitting atop him.

She had brown eyes, and her hair was tied back into a long and messy low ponytail. An exposing tank-top barely covered her upper half, while her upper thighs were adorned by a pair of frazzled cut-off jean shorts. To top it all off, intricate tattoos ran up and down her right shoulder and upper arm.

He would have thought her decently attractive, if not for the Cutlass she had pressed against his lower jaw.

"No one fucking touches me without my permission, do you hear me you motherfucking son of a bitch?!" she snarled again, grinding the end of her weapon's muzzle into his skin. "You messed up fucking big time asshole, and now I'm gonna paint this room with your fucking brains!"

A metallic click echoed through the air, and the foul-mouthed brunette suddenly froze.

The end of one of Sayo's mini-guns was pressed firmly against the back of her head. The look on the blue-haired nurse's face was one of barely suppressed rage, as if she was silently begging the woman on the business end of her weapon to give her a reason to pull the trigger.

"Give me a reason bitch," the bluenette sneered coldly.

The tattooed stranger gritted her teeth angrily, and judging by the way he could feel the muscles in her thighs bunching up, Ichigo could easily tell that she was preparing to leap into action. He sincerely hoped she had better sense than that…otherwise Sayo would literally tear her to pieces. With her bare hands, at that.

"That's enough," a stern, feminine voice suddenly cut through the air life a white-hot knife.

The Black Label and Hellsing agents in the room collectively turned back towards the doorway, where three other women were standing.

One of them, a tanned blonde wearing a pair of sunglasses, was quite obviously enjoying the display. On the other hand, the dark-haired woman standing next to her, who was wearing a pair of round glasses and an antique maid's uniform, didn't appear to be showing any kind of emotion in the slightest.

The final woman, who was also the one who had spoken, had her long, wavy blonde hair tied back into a high ponytail. She also wore a bright red business suit, along with a light grey jacket that hung loosely around her shoulders. However, the most noticeable thing about her was that she had a horrific scar adorning the entire right half of her face. If she was at all bothered by her own appearance, then she certainly didn't show it.

Even from his position pinned to the floor, Ichigo could sense that the woman gave of a commanding aura that put even Integra's to absolute shame…

"Let him up, Revy," she said, quite obviously addressing the woman sitting on top of the orange-head.

"B-But boss, he…"

"I'm not asking. I'm _telling_ you to move your ass."

The brunette growled lowly under her breath, and her eyes snapped back down to meet Ichigo's. "This ain't over you motherfucker, do you hear me?" she hissed, before reluctantly rising to her feet. However, she still firmly planted a foot directly in the center of the former Substitute's stomach for good measure.

Sayo briefly locked eyes with the woman, apparently named Revy, and both of them gave the other a look so fierce that it would have made the likes of Kenpachi and Grimmjow cower in fear. How wonderful…not even five minutes into knowing each other, and they already wanted to rip each other's throats out…

So much for team bonding…

"I'm guessing you're Kugo's friends?" Ichigo wheezed as his girlfriend hauled him back to his feet.

The commanding blonde scoffed slightly. " _Friend_ is a rather strong term to use for any relationship I might have with that man. But, to essentially answer your question, yes, we are the team he put you into contact with. I would apologize for being late, but we weren't really in too big of a hurry to begin with."

Off to the side, Yuuko frowned at the woman's rather uncaring tone.

Ichigo however, being the better man, stepped forward and extended a hand. "Well, then we're glad you could finally make it," he said, putting a bit of emphasis on the word 'finally.' "I'm Ichigo, and these are my friends; Sayo, Yuuko, Miki, Oriha, Mikoto, and Pip."

The Frenchman smoothly slid up to the other blonde woman in the room. "But of course, you can call me M _onsieur Beau…"_

The woman in question slowly slid her sunglasses down her nose and raised an eyebrow. "You can call me Eda, or _trop bien pour toi,_ if you prefer."

Pip wilted considerably, and sulked back over to his original standing position near the bar.

"What did she say to you?" Oriha whispered, leaning towards him.

"I don't want to talk about it…" the mercenary grumbled.

The older blonde woman rolled her eyes at the display. "Since you have already been introduced to Eda and Revy, then the remaining pleasantries will be conveniently short. I am Balalaika, and this is my personal assistant, Roberta."

The dark-haired woman in the maid's outfit bowed politely at the waist. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Ichigo nodded back, before turning once again to face Balalaika. "We've been discussing strategy for the past few minutes before you arrived, and we decided that it would be best if we all split up into fairly equally sized teams. That way, if one team is discovered, then they can lead attention away from the remaining ones."

The scarred woman nodded. "Not a bad idea. Alright then kid, since you and the blue-haired girl seem so close, then I assume you can work well together. You'll be accompanying both Revy and myself."

The orange-head frowned. "Wait, we were going t-"

"Eda, I want you and Roberta to take Frenchy. That leaves the rest of you to team up however you see fit. Everyone understand?"

Yuuko's frown deepened. "Now hold on just a minute, who put you in charge?"

Balalaika smirked. "I did. Now then, let's move out."

* * *

Bambietta stared down at the prone woman before her with nothing but genuine pity and regret.

Konomi Suzue was never supposed to have been caught up in any of this, and neither were any other innocent people. She would have been all for allowing the orange-haired woman to escape, but she still had to keep up appearances until it was time to break off Millennium's temporary partnership with Tobishiro and his little minions.

Speaking of the disgusting little troll, he was allegedly inbound on a top of the line private jet.

Apparently, Goryu had decided to kidnap Suzue in particular due to the fact that the detective had been involved in several cases that had undermined several of Tobishiro's incoming shipments of Platinum Lily. Therefore, not only would the despicable man be pleased that they managed to successfully acquire a decent amount of the addictive substance, but he would also get to relieve any of his past frustrations on Konomi herself.

Or _into_ her, if what Goryu had planned was true…

"You really are a piece of work, you know that?" Bambietta snorted, turning to address the kunoichi. "Are you really willing to sacrifice an innocent woman up to your boss just so he'll lay off of you for a while?"

"Since there is no possible way you could know what Tobishiro has done to me in the past, I will excuse you for being so ignorant," Goryu replied, not even bothering to turn around. Currently, she was mixing together some kind of liquid in a vial that was supposed to somewhat balance out the effects of the Platinum Lily, which would keep the host alive for a bit longer than usual before they eventually succumbed to the lethal effects of the drug. "When I was a girl, my parents were killed in a car accident. None of my living relatives wanted to take responsibility for me, so I was forced to live out on the streets. After months of being forced to fight for my life every single day and eat scraps from garbage cans, a car suddenly pulled up outside of the alleyway where I had made my home. An older man approached me, and said that he could give me a home in exchange for me simply doing a few household tasks."

Pausing in her story, the dark-haired ninja woman let out a bitter sigh. "How could I refuse? I hardly cared what they needed from me; after all, how bad could it have been if I got a warm bed and fresh food in return? Things were fine for a while, and I was treated fairly well by the rest of the staff at the man's mansion. However, after nearly a month had gone by, the man introduced me to his young son, and told me that from that point onward, I would be under his servitude…."

Bambietta, despite the situation, felt a twinge of sympathy in her heart. "It was him, wasn't it?"

"Tobishiro, you mean? Yes, it was. The first week or so was fairly normal, and all I had to do was cook my new Master's meals and wash his clothes. Then, one night, he summoned me to his room. I didn't think anything of it at the time, and heeded his summons without any hesitation. That was the first night he raped me…but it certainly wouldn't be the last…"

Loading the vial she had been mixing into a syringe, Goryu briskly walked over to Konomi's unconscious form. "The abuse continued, and soon afterward it was followed by actual physical violence. If I said or did anything that Master Tobishiro did not agree with, he would beat me to within an inch of my life, and then use my broken body to work out his frustrations until he was satisfied. One day, I came down with a terrible sickness; it was so severe that my Master finally relented and called in a medical professional. They preformed numerous operations and surgeries to repair my body, and after several weeks I finally started to regain my health. However, I will never forget what the doctor told me the day before he left…apparently, due to the extreme physical trauma my body had endured, I am no longer capable of conceiving children…"

Pressing the syringe against Konomi's shoulder, the kunoichi injected her with the contents. "I-I suppose it is a good thing in the end. I would never wish to bring a child into the nightmare that I am forced to endure every single waking moment of my life."

Withdrawing the syringe, she threw it against the nearest wall with such force that it shattered into a thousand tiny shards. Whirling on Bambietta, Goryu reached up to wipe away the moisture that had gathered in her eyes. "So, to answer your question, I am not happy with sacrificing an innocent woman to my Master…but…I don't know how much more of this I can take alone before I simply decide to end it all myself."

Brushing past the younger woman, she then stalked out of the room.

Letting out a sigh, 'The Explode' shook her head and glanced down at Konomi. "What a fucked up world we live in…"

Her communicator suddenly buzzed form within her pocket, and she quickly fished it out before bringing it up to her ear. "Talk to me."

" _We're ready whenever you are boss,"_ Senji's voice came over the device. _"Just tell us when."_

Bambietta nodded in satisfaction, not that her subordinate could see it. "Good, let's just wait a little while longer. Even I don't want to be at the very center when this place goes to hell."

* * *

Tobishiro's base of operations was, to be quite honest, not very hard to find. It was just like every stereotypical villain's hideout Ichigo had seen in movies and comic books. It was honestly a bit sad that the police had spent so long looking for a place that stuck out like a road flare on a pitch-black highway…

Bringing the pair of binoculars he'd been using away from his eyes, he quickly offered them to Balalaika, who accepted them and brought them up to her own face.

"There aren't very many guards…" the orange-head pointed out. "That's a bit surprising."

"Don't let first appearances deceive you, kid. There's most likely a shitload of thugs on the inside," the blonde woman replied. "If what I've read and heard about this pig is true, then he's got a rather obvious flare for the dramatic. He'll be wanting as much muscle as he can afford to show off how powerful his empire is."

Ichigo nodded in understanding, before an uncomfortable chill ran down his spine. "Hey uh, do you think you could get your friend to stop giving me the evil eye?" he whispered, jerking a thumb in Revy's direction.

After their overall rescue group had split up into three smaller groups, the trigger-happy brunette had seemingly made it her goal to glare at the former Substitute for as long as possible, and as harshly as she could. If it was any consolation, Sayo was currently doing the same to her in return.

Balalaika smirked, lowering the binoculars. "You're the one who face-planted into her tits, kid. If you want to get her to stop, then you're going to have to make it up to her yourself."

"And how exactly am I supposed to do that?"

"If we all survive this, then offer to take her out for a beer."

Ichigo's expression flattened. "I doubt being alone with that woman while she is potentially intoxicated is a good idea…"

"You do know that I can hear you, right fuck-face?" Revy snarled, marching up and jamming a finger right in the orange-head's chest. Faster than the eye could see, Sayo moved between them and snatched the brunette's wrist in an iron-clad grip.

"Don't fucking touch him you slut," she snarled.

Revy's hands twitched towards her weapons. "You're calling _me_ a slut? Heh, that's rich coming from a chick whose tits are the size of fucking watermelons."

Sayo's grip tightened. However, to her credit, Revy barely flinched.

"At least I'm not dressed like some back-alley prostitute," the bluenette sneered.

"Cunt."

"Bitch."

"Bimbo!"

"Hooker!"

"Cow tits!"

"Enough!" Ichigo finally shouted, surprising both women to such a degree that they actually jumped in place a bit. "Look, I really _don't care_ what you think of me," he growled, addressing Revy. "But my friend is down there, with God knows what being done to her. So, for the moment, I expect you to either shut the _fuck_ up and help us, or just leave."

The brunette was struck silent, but before Sayo could smirk in victory, Ichigo whirled on her as well.

"And you…I expected better form you. Antagonizing Revy is not helping the situation, and although I appreciate you sticking up for me, it would be better to just ignore her and get done with the mission," he said, causing his girlfriend to wilt slightly under his intense glare.

"Sorry Ichigo…" she mumbled.

Off to the side, Balalaika started to clap slowly. "Well done kid," she drawled sarcastically. "You managed to reign in two hard headed women at the same time…and in such a short amount of time at that. Now then, if you three are done playing around, I'd like to get this assignment started."

"Anxious?" Ichigo asked, stepping away from Revy and Sayo, both of whom shot each other a sharp glare accompanied by a middle finger.

Balalaika snorted. "Hardly. I would simply rather deal with the vampires Kugo spoke of before they have a chance to spread their infection. The only good vampire is a dead vampire, after all."

The orange-head's eyes narrowed. "One of my best friends happens to be a vampire."

The blonde's icy blue glare matched his own. "Then I hope for your sake, you realize what a monster they are before it's too late."

Turning away from the younger man, Balalaika deftly stepped over to the edge of the roof the group was standing on, before vaulting herself over the side of the building and down into the street below.

* * *

" _Are you two still in position?"_ Bambietta's voice came over the radio.

Senji grinned, sparing a glance down at Minatsuki, who in turn was glaring at the collection of thugs around them with nothing but pure malice in her eyes.

"That we are, boss lady. Is it time yet?" he asked.

" _It is. I've already ensured that the samples we collected from Sayo Hitsugi are secure, so just do what you need to do and meet up with me when you're done. I can't imagine that Kurosaki will wait too much longer before charging in like some suicidal white knight. We need him to be occupied completely if we want to escape unnoticed."_

"Roger that," the artificial vampire grinned. Pocketing his communicator, he looked back down at his teenaged companion. "You ready?"

"Of fucking course I am," the brunette grinned savagely, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. "I'm absolutely starving…"

Without warning, she reached up and ripped out her earrings, which in turn released her blood tendrils from her ears. Senji did the same, and tore his barbed rings across his forearms, which allowed his bloody blades to extend to their fullest.

The human goons in the room all let out sounds of shock and surprise, and collectively backed away from the two Millennium agents.

"W-What the hell do you think you're doing?!" one of them shouted.

One of Minatsuki's whips sliced through the air, and within a fraction of a second the man's head fell from his neck with a sickening squelch and rolled off his shoulders to the floor.

The remaining men all looked on in horror, before once again turning back towards the two approaching vampires.

"Nothing personal fellas," Senji grinned. "We're just following orders…"

"Open fire!"

Bullets rained through the air, but they did very little to stop the eventual sound of cries of pain and tearing of flesh.

* * *

Sayo snapped another guard's neck with no more effort than a normal person would use in breaking a wooden pencil.

Ichigo, as used as he was to lethal violence, still cringed slightly as a sharp crack echoed down the dimly lit hallway, which was shortly followed by the sound of the man's body hitting the floor with a meaty thump. Normally, the orange-head would have been opposed to killing other humans, but these guys were the worst kind of scum one could imagine.

If what Konomi had told him several days ago about Tobishiro was true, then he and his men were not at all opposed to human trafficking, cold blooded murder, and other such heinous crimes.

Therefore, his guilt was only slightly put at ease as he cleaved another guard from his shoulder to the opposite hip with _Manus._ He knew that these men would most likely become Hollows, but he also sincerely doubted that they would be very powerful in their new spiritual forms. And, of course, Soul Society undoubtedly had several Soul Reapers positioned within the borders of Tobioka City to deal with such minor threats.

Seemingly sensing her boyfriend's internal distress, Sayo reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. Although the action didn't really do much, Ichigo still sincerely appreciated the gesture.

"I know what it feels like," she said gently. "I may not remember the very first life I took, I know that my first genuine memory of killing someone was nothing short of haunting. But, we do what we have to in order to keep people safe."

"Yeah…I know…" Ichigo replied.

A sharp scoff quickly drew the young couple's attention.

Revy pressed the end of her Cutlass against the last remaining guard's head and pulled the trigger without any form of hesitance. "Don't tell me you're gonna pussy out on us carrot-top. I figured you wouldn't have the stomach for this kind of job."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed. "I'm not backing out, I just don't enjoy killing people like you do."

The brunette returned his glare with one of her own. "Enjoyment ain't got nothing to do with it you fucking moron. The strong live, and the weak die…that's just the way this goddamn world works. If you don't have the guts to make sure you've got what it takes to live till tomorrow, then you'll just end up as another rotting hunk of flesh on the sidewalk."

Now it was Sayo's turn to narrow her eyes. "So that's it, then? You only care about prolonging your own life and not using your skills to help others?"

Revy sneered condescendingly. "Why should I give two shits about what happens to the rest of the people in this shitty world? Nobody ever went out of their way to help me, so what fucking reason should I have to stick out my neck for them? The only reason I'm helping you dumbasses now is because I owe Sis my life. She said we were gonna give you backup, so here we are. I couldn't care less about you and your friend."

Ichigo's frown deepened, and he opened his mouth to issue a retort.

However, before he could utter a single syllable, Sayo surged past him and wrapped one of her gauntlet-covered hands around Revy's throat. Hauling the shorter woman off of her feet, the bluenette slammed her against the nearest wall.

"You arrogant, self-absorbed, condescending twat!" the gun-toting nurse roared, clenching her fist and tightening her hold.

Revy's own hands immediately went up to the other woman's fingers, attempting to claw away the iron-clad grip holding her against the wall. She struggled to breathe, and desperately gasped for air as she continued to writhe and flail in Sayo's grasp.

She would have most likely gone for one of her weapons, but they had both clattered to the floor as soon as the bluenette had grabbed her.

"You shouldn't have to feel like you owe the world anything to help people who need it! My life was absolute shit until I met Ichigo and Yuuko, but they gave me the strength to get over my own petty bitterness and devote my life to being a force of good. My childhood was a fucking nightmare, but if there's any chance that I can make enough of a difference to keep others from enduring the same torture, then I'll do whatever it takes to take it!" Sayo declared passionately, eyes boring directly into Revy's. "Your own goddamn self-pity will only end up making your life worse, so stop acting like a spoiled little cunt and get over yourself!"

"F-F-Fuck…you…!" The brunette wheezed.

Sayo snarled again, but paused when something pressing against the small of her back.

"I would very much appreciate it if you let go of my subordinate," Balalaika sighed, sounding remarkably as if she _hadn't_ just pulled a gun on someone. "Otherwise, I'll have to do something that we'll both end up regretting."

Growling lowly, the heavy hitter of Ampoule One squeezed Revy's throat one more time before releasing her hold and dropping the brunette to the floor, where she quickly descended into an uncontrollable coughing fit.

"There now, was that so hard?" the Russian blonde asked sarcastically, putting away her pistol.

Ichigo issued his girlfriend with a frown as he stepped forward. "Was that really necessary, Sayo?"

She shrugged carelessly in response. "Probably not, but someone needed to put this bitch in her place."

Shaking his head, the orange-head knelt down next to Revy and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked in genuine concern.

"Get the fuck off of me!" the tattooed woman snarled, shoving Ichigo away harshly. As she finally caught her breath, she picked up her weapons and shakily returned to her feet, glaring at Sayo the whole time. "I really fucking hope we end up being enemies someday. Then I can put a bullet in your skull without any consequences."

The bluenette merely smiled back at her condescendingly. "The feeling is more than mutual, sweetheart."

Revy snarled, and prepared to deliver a most likely scathing comeback, but a sudden wailing groan echoed down the hallway, drawing the attention of everyone in the group.

The sound of numerous shuffling footsteps sounded off, and before long, to their collective horror, an absolutely _enormous_ horde of Ghouls emerged from the darkness. The undead monsters continued to groan in eternal agony, and moved forward in their march towards Ichigo and the others.

The former Substitute's eyes widened in horror. "Holy…"

"…Fuck," Revy finished.

* * *

 **And there we go.**

 **I know that the official name for Balalaika's group was never properly mentioned in this chapter, but that was because no one felt it was necessary to bring up the topic. Officially, they will henceforth be known as the** _ **Pulya Organization.**_

 **That aside, I hope everyone enjoyed the interaction I depicted with the characters, especially between Ichigo, Sayo, and Revy. As expected by anyone who is familiar with** _ **Black Lagoon,**_ **Revy is incredibly hostile, doesn't care who hears what she has to say, and isn't too fond of strangers. Her first meeting with Ichigo also probably had something to do with the aggression she feels towards him. And, of course, Sayo isn't about to sit back and watch as her man gets treated like shit by another woman.**

 **And, just to make it clear, here are the teams that everyone in the rescue operation divided up into:**

 **Team 1: Ichigo, Sayo, Balalaika, Revy**

 **Team 2: Pip , Eda, Roberta**

 **Team 3: Yuuko, Miki, Mikoto, Oriha**

 **Recently, I received either a PM or review (I can't remember which) stating that someone was concerned whether or not I will be able to handle the inclusion of the multitude of characters in this story. And, as I have said before, I will respond to this concern by reassuring you all that I already have a concrete outline that dictates the role each of these characters will have. I'm not just bullshitting this as I go; everyone has a purpose in this story, and I am already aware of what each character's purpose will be before they are even introduced within the actual story.**

 **I know that some of you were probably hoping for some action sequences, and to be quite honest I expected to start those scenes in this chapter as well. However, as I reached the end, I realized that I was already close to my preferred word count. So, we'll be seeing more action and fight scenes next time.**

 **This also means that there will be more chapters devoted to the** _ **Triage X Arc**_ **before we finally return to the main** _ **Hellsing**_ **storyline.**

 **I haven't been surprised by the sympathy Goryu has received in the review section, and I wouldn't be surprised if that intensified after the revelations about her past.**

 **Well then, I hope you all enjoyed! Please feel free to share your thoughts.**

 **Also, feel free to follow me on Twitter AlucardsBro, where I will be posting content related to my works on fanfiction, as well as random personal opinions and pieces of my artwork.**

 **Until next time!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Echoes of Our Past

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Get ready for a longer than usual Author's Note.**

 **I hate to take up space with lengthy notes if they're unavoidable, but there are some things that I need/want to address. The rest of the chapter will remain the usual length, though.**

 **I had a suspicion** **that at least one person would be incredibly salty about how I made Amaterasu so much more powerful than Yamamoto and Aizen. Turns out, I was right to feel this way.**

 **Look guys, favorite series aside, Amaterasu is a goddess.** _ **A LITERAL GODDESS.**_ **So, of course she is** **more powerful than them, even if they themselves are two of the strongest characters within the** _ **Bleach**_ **universe. Comparing the power levels of characters from two different series is always a hassle, as there will ALWAYS be people on one side or the other who are upset that the characters they so enjoy aren't the top dogs anymore.**

 **My biggest issue with the portrayal of gods and deities in most forms of fiction is that they are always overpowered waaaay too easily by beings who shouldn't even be able to hold a candle to their strength. A prime example of this is shown in** _ **Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief,**_ **when Percy fights Ares. Percy is a twelve-year-old at the time, and yet he is able to defeat the literal** _ **GOD OF WAR**_ **in a sword fight with nothing but his hand-to-hand combat skills and swordsmanship. The utter idea of this is absolutely laughable.**

 **It gets even more ridiculous when the god in question represents a fundamental aspect of the universe, such as time, night, the sky, or the sun. As far as this story is concerned, Yamamoto will be a bit higher than the Satan-Class Devils and considerably lower than the Heavenly Pair (Ddraig and Albion), while Aizen will simply be equal to a Satan-Class Devil. This still easily makes them two of the most powerful beings on the planet, if not the entirety of the supernatural world. Yamamoto could easily take down Sirzechs, yet he could not take down someone like Zeus or Odin.**

 **Ancient gods, such as Vishnu, Amaterasu, and Quetzalcoatl would still absolutely** _ **dominate**_ **him in a fight.**

" **But AlucardsBro, Aizen was able to manipulate Yhwach's mind even after he absorbed the Soul King! You're obviously downplaying his strength too much!"**

 **No…not really.**

 **The fact that Aizen was able to deceive Yhwach's perception of reality has nothing to do with his physical strength. Using his Zanpakuto, Aizen is arguably capable of manipulating the mind of any entity that has the ability to perceive the world around them through their senses. So yes, in theory he could do the same to Amaterasu, but that does not by any stretch of the imagination make him stronger than her. Strength and ability are two** _ **very**_ **different things.**

" **But AlucardsBro, Yamamoto's power could be felt as far as the World of the Living and Hueco Mundo when he released his Bankai! He's obviously stronger than you give him credit for!"**

 **Hypothetically speaking, let's assume that the World of the Living, Hueco Mundo, and Soul Society are all Earth-sized celestial bodies. Even if Yamamoto was able to use his Bankai to destroy all three worlds (using his full strength, as he did in the manga against Yhwach), that still would not even begin to compare with the sheer destructive power that the sun is capable of, which can annihilate entire Solar Systems.**

 **If you are still salty about this, then that is certainly unfortunate, but writing a high-and-mighty review telling me how wrong I am is not going to change anything.**

 **Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the inclusion of the** _ **Black Lagoon**_ **characters. I had hoped that I had made this clear, but apparently, I didn't do so as efficiently as I would have liked: THERE IS NO LAGOON COMPANY.**

 **There is no Church of Violence, and there is no Lovelace Family. Okay, well, that last one might not necessarily be true, but they do not exist in this story in the same way that they do in canon. As I stated several chapters ago, I will take the occasional liberty of changing things about certain shows to make them fit in with what I want to portray in this story.**

 **Instead of running Hotel Moscow like she does in the actual series, Balalaika runs the Pulya Organization, which is a team of my own original creation. This group consists of female fighters she has managed to rescue who were on death's door due to vampire related incidents. This will be expanded upon in this chapter.**

 **Rock, Dutch, and Benny all exist somewhere within my established universe, but they do not necessarily lead the same lives that they do in** _ **Black Lagoon.**_ **As I said, the lore and world building will be expanded upon in this chapter.**

 **Oh, and fair warning, there is a scene in this chapter that describes/depicts the aftermath of a rape, and another that implies torture and slavery. I know some people can be upset by this, but it is necessary to include.**

 **Final Note: While writing this chapter, I was spammed with review after review for each individual chapter for** _ **ALL**_ **of my stories. Normally, this would be absolutely fine, but they were all so incredibly vague that I had no idea which scenes were being addressed. I just wanted to share this since I found it so incredibly confusing and hilarious.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _(Afghanistan, 1988. Eleven years ago.)_

Things had never been supposed to go so terribly.

The missionwas _supposed_ to have been an extremely simple one. Get in, get the information they needed, and then get back out before anyone in the country even knew they were there. It had been intended to serve as her introduction into the agency…

Unfortunately, Edith Blackwater had quickly come to realize that things hardly ever went according to plan when you were actually out in the field.

Running along the dark and empty hallway of a crumbling building, she quickly turned the nearest corner and pressed her back against the wall for support. Her breathing was coming out in panting gasps, and her legs felt like they were about to melt into puddles of jelly. However, the fire in her lungs and the agony in her muscles did absolutely nothing to compare with the ungodly terror in her heart.

Several weeks ago, the American Central Intelligence Agency had received numerous reports of untold devastation being inflicted upon random villages across the Afghani territories. People had been ripped apart in their homes, and there had been absolutely no evidence that any kind of heavy weaponry had been used in any of the attacks. Of course, being that these incidents had occurred off of American soil, the government had at first elected to ignore the issue.

However, as the violence continued, it was clear that something much bigger than anyone had ever imagined was at play. Something that could potentially endanger the lives of American troops.

There had already been talk of potential war between the American people and the numerous terrorist organizations that operated out of Afghanistan, and as such several politicians had insisted that the CIA quietly investigate the issue before it could escalate into a full-on problem.

And so, Edith, along with a handful of seasoned agents, had been deployed into the dry and dusty country.

She was only nineteen, but her mentor, Agent Richard Flagg, had assured her that actually getting her feet wet would be a good experience for her. After all, if she wanted to become a good field agent, then she needed real world experience that would prepare her for the type of conflicts she would encounter later on in her career.

Everything had started out as normally as one might expect.

After a few hours of riding through the desert, the group of agents had finally reached a village that had as of yet been spared form the mysterious attacks. They had been welcomed with a surprising amount of warmth by the villagers, and had quickly been led to a place where they could rest after their journey. Several young girls had followed Edith like a gaggle of ducklings until she had finally conceded and allowed them to braid her long blonde hair, much to her annoyance and reluctance.

At the same time, Flagg and several other senior agents had taken aside several of the village elders to discuss the reason for their appearance. After a lengthy discussion, the villagers had revealed that the attacks had apparently not been the result of rival terrorist groups, but instead the work of mythical creatures that they called _Olitiau._

Chalking these claims to nothing but superstition, the American agents had a good laugh about it before going to sleep.

At around midnight, the screaming had started…

Gritting her teeth, Edith spared a glance down at the gaping wound on her left leg. Four long, ugly red gashes trailed down the entirety of the limb, starting from her upper thigh and leading all the way down to her ankle. And unfortunately, now that her adrenaline was beginning to slowly wear off, she was finally feeling the full force of the pain that the wound came with.

"Fuck!" she hissed softly, tearing off several strips of her ruined combat pants and carefully winding them around her injury. She dared not raise her voice any higher, for fear that the monster might hear her.

That was the only possible word to describe them… _monsters._

She suddenly heard the crunching of gravel, and seized up in pure terror. Labored breathing sounded from around the corner in the hallway she had just ran through, and although it didn't sound like one of the creatures that had slaughtered her teammates, she wasn't willing to take any more chances.

"E-Eda…" a familiar voice wheezed.

Stunned for a moment, Edith quickly gained enough of her composure to risk a tiny peek around the corner and into the hallway. Lying there at the edge of the darkness was none other than her mentor, Rick Flagg.

His body was gone from the waist down…

"R-Rick?!" she cried in horror, attempting to stumble forward to help her longtime friend.

"Get out of here!" the mutilated man shouted back. "E-Eda…listen to me. You have to go…you have t-"

Rick's warning was cut short when he was harshly pulled back into the shadows, screaming the entire way. Edith fell backwards in shock, before quickly staggering back up to her feet and sprinting away as fast as her injury would allow. The sound of agonized screams and tearing flesh would forever echo in her ears.

Her heart raced.

Her leg burned.

Her mind ran at a million miles an hour.

Unfortunately, she barely got more than twenty feet before something hard struck her directly in the middle of her back. Air exploded from her lungs as she was lifted off her feet and propelled forward through the air. She impacted the stone floor harshly, and rolled several more feet before finally coming to a stop in a bruised and broken heap.

The blonde tried with all her might to push herself up on her forearms, but her efforts were snuffed out when a heavy weight settled on top of her.

"Did you honestly think you could get away from me, you little American _waqiha?"_ the bearded, dark-skinned man sitting on her snarled. "I can smell your blood. I can smell your fear. And I can smell your sin."

"Fuck…off…" Edith managed to spit out through the unbelievable pain wracking her body.

Her words were rewarded with a brutal punch to the back of her head. Miraculously, despite the fact that her vision was filled with dark spots, she remained conscious.

"You have a surprising amount of spirit for an infidel," the monster grinned, exposing a set of razor-sharp teeth that glistened in the moonlight which shone through a nearby broken window. Keeping the blonde pinned to the floor effortlessly, he reached forward and gripped what remained of her pants, before harshly tearing the fabric away. "I will enjoy breaking you. It has been far too long since I have been able to indulge in a proper virgin."

Barely registering the man's words, Edith's eyes filled with tears as what remained of her strength left her body.

However, before the monster could begin defiling her, a single loud gunshot cracked through the air. Blood spattered across the back of her head, and she idly noticed that the weight atop her body had suddenly disappeared.

The world fell silent for a moment, before eventually the sound of steady footsteps slowly began to draw closer. Struggling to raise her head from the dirt and stone, Edith managed to catch a glimpse of a blonde-haired woman who appeared to be only a few years older than herself. She wore black combat attire, and held a smoking pistol in her right hand.

Several additional men stood behind the woman, and she quickly turned to address them. "Do a sweep of the area; check for any other survivors."

They all nodded, before disappearing into the darkness to fulfill their tasks.

With her men gone, the blonde woman turned her attention back down to the barely conscious girl sprawled on the floor at her feet. "You managed to endure for a surprisingly long amount of time for someone your age…that's impressive," she mused aloud. "What's your name, kid?"

Feeling herself beginning to slip, Edith managed to barely voice a response. "E-Eda…" she mumbled, before finally falling unconscious.

Balalaika smirked, appraising the girl's features. She would definitely need some serious medical treatment, and possibly some professional therapy, but there was no doubt that she would eventually make a full recovery if given the proper help.

"Eda, huh? Good to know."

* * *

 _(Tobioka City, Japan. Present Day)_

"Where the hell did these fuckers even come from?!" Eda snarled, squeezing off another round of shots into the oncoming horde of Ghouls. "And why the fuck is there so many of them?!"

The undead monsters had quite literally come out of nowhere. One minute, she and the others had been merely sneaking along the numerous hallways in Tobishiro's compound, and the next thing they knew they were face-to-face with an absolutely enormous group of Ghouls.

Pip, who was standing back-to-back with the blonde, fired several shots from his own enhanced pistols. "Look at their clothes! Those suits are traditionally worn by members of the Japanese mafia, and other similar groups. These aren't just random Ghouls; these are Tobishiro's men!"

Allowing an empty clip to fall from her pistol, Eda quickly reached into one of the pouches along her belt and retrieved a new one, before jamming it up into her weapon. Unfortunately, no matter how many holy rounds she and Pip seemed to fire off into the horde, the undead monstrosities just kept coming. "Hey Roberta, what the hell are you doing?! Get your ass in gear and help us!"

The dark-haired maid, who had thus far been simply bobbing and weaving through the multitude of Ghouls, elegantly dipped a hand into her cleavage and withdrew a pair of silver-encrusted brass knuckles. "As you wish…please do not get in my way."

Spinning around just as one of the undead monsters prepared to bite into her shoulder, Roberta _slammed_ her fist into the monster's chin with enough force to send its head flying clean off its shoulders, and through the ceiling into the next floor. Blurring out of existence for a brief moment, she then reappeared a split second later right next to Pip and Eda.

The Frenchman opened his mouth to voice his disbelief, but Eda silenced him by lightly placing a finger against his lips.

"Wait for it," she grinned.

Not even half a second later, at least half of the Ghouls in the hallway quite literally exploded into chunks of rotten flesh, painting the walls with their vile internal organs. With a good majority of their targets destroyed, it didn't take too terribly long for Pip and Eda to gun down the remaining creatures.

As the last Ghoul fell to the ground with a meaty thud, the Hellsing and Pulya agents took the respite to refill their ammunitions.

"Okay, one of you had better tell me how the fuck she did that…" Pip finally spoke up.

Eda shrugged, sparing a quick glance at Roberta, who herself was just finishing with wiping the blood and gore off of her own blessed weapons. "She's just…really fucking strong. Miss Balalaika seems to know why, but she's never told me or Revy. All I know is that Roberta here can punch clean through a concrete wall without breaking a goddamn sweat. Lucky bitch…"

The bespectacled maid smiled softly, having overhead the discussion. "I will admit, my strength does most definitely have numerous benefits in combat."

Snorting, Eda scowled as she finished counting her remaining munitions. "Damn it, I'm already running low…why the fuck were there so many Ghouls in the first place?"

Pip hummed, bringing a hand up to his chin. "If what Sayo and Yuuko said was true, then they only encountered two vampires down at the docks. The fact that they were after the Platinum Lily made it pretty obvious that they were working with Tobishiro, but I guess he and his men ended up being pretty expendable in the end. All of these Ghouls were just a distraction…there's something a whole lot more complicated going on here."

The blonde woman sighed. "Yeah well, if and when we find those undead fuckers, you can be damn sure I'll blow three dozen holes in each of them for all the trouble they've caused…"

"Amen to that," the Frenchman grinned.

* * *

 _(New York City, 1990. Nine years ago.)_

She stumbled brokenly towards Central Park.

The insides of her thighs were still sticky from when the bastards had finished inside of her, and Rebecca Lee nearly felt like throwing up at the memory. They'd came in her mouth too, but she'd been forced to swallow it all under the threat of execution at gunpoint.

Thankfully, there was no possible way that she could get pregnant. Her insides were far too damaged for that…

The police officers of the Twenty-Seventh Precinct knew her well. She desperately tried to avoid the area as best she could, but one way or another, they always found her. She was arrested multiple times under bullshit proclamations of 'loitering' or 'public indecency', and each time she was dragged down to the Police Station to be used as either the cops' punching bag or living fucktoy. Whenever they finished having their fun, the would always throw her out of the building with a parting comment of, "See you next time!"

Maybe she should have just let them kill her…

Even though she was only fifteen-years-old, Rebecca Lee was already fully confident that she knew what hell was. Abused by her drunken father during the day, and then once she had reached somewhere around the age of twelve, her encounters with the police had started to go downhill.

They'd beaten her before then, sure…but she could still vividly remember the first time she'd been physically violated.

It had been _so_ painful…

After that first time, she'd gone home that night and murdered her father. Well, perhaps 'murder' wasn't the appropriate term to use; no one would miss him, after all. She'd been on her own since then, living off of whatever she could find in garbage cans or dumpsters along the streets of the city. Sometimes, if she was lucky, she could get away with swiping something a bit fresher off of a street-side vendor's cart.

She'd prayed to God constantly in that time to deliver her from this hell on Earth, but several nights ago, after she'd been beaten to near death by one of the numerous gangs that operated in the city, Rebecca had finally come to an eye-opening realization.

God didn't care for her…

If He even existed at all.

What kind of a loving and benevolent deity would allow shit like this to happen to her? What had she ever done to deserve any of the horrors her life had been filled with?

God didn't care about her, and she no longer cared about Him.

Staggering over to the nearest bench, Rebecca slumped down into the wooden seat and finally attempted to force all of the tension from her body. Usually, when she tried to find somewhere to recuperate, the area was already bustling with people who would attempt to chase her away due to her unkempt appearance. Now, though, the particular section of the park where she'd ended up was thankfully deserted.

Her muscles relaxed, and she let out a resigned sigh. "Fuck my life…"

She'd considered killing herself several times, but each time she was actually in a position to do so, she always ended up chickening out. That being the case, she had simply come to accept that her life would forever be an endless cycle of violence, rape, and abuse.

Just as she was about to close her eyes, the young brunette heard a twig snap behind her.

Leaping up, she whirled around and raised her fists. There went her brief moment of relaxation…

"I can fucking hear you, ya know!" she snarled, raising her fists into a pathetic imitation of a boxer's stance. "Now get the fuck out here before I kick your goddamn teeth in!"

"Now, now, that's no way for a young lady to speak…"

A lithe, pale-skinned woman with dark black hair stepped out of the foliage and into the light given off by the closest streetlamp. Her lips were the color of blood, and were turned up into a condescending smirk that immediately made Rebecca's blood boil. An indigo dress clung tightly to every curve on her body, and even despite the situation, the brown-haired girl couldn't help but feel a tiny bit jealous at the older woman's physique.

"What is a pretty little bird such as yourself doing out this late in the evening?" the woman purred, her tongue darting out briefly to lick along her upper lip.

Rebecca shivered the woman's eyes roved hungrily over her body. However, just as those crimson orbs landed on her crotch, the woman's smile morphed into a disgusted sneer. "How unfortunate…I had hoped that coming across a youngling would ensure virgin blood as my reward. But, it appears as through you have been tainted _numerous_ times…oh well, I suppose beggars cannot be choosers."

The stranger took a single step forward, and although she had originally been standing a good thirteen or so feet away, she appeared next to Rebecca in an instant. Claws were thrust into the young girl's stomach, and she let out a choked gasp of pain and surprise.

The woman yanked her fingernails out of the brunette's midsection, allowing her to crumple to the grassy dirt. Licking the blood from her fingertips, the dark-haired witch let out a small hum. "Hmm…as I suspected. You are not a virgin, but your blood is still young enough to be passable. You will make a decent meal."

Rebecca coughed up blood, and just as her attacker was about to reach down and tear her head from her shoulders, something metallic whistled through the air between them. The woman let out a horrifying scream of pain and clutched the burning stump were her right arm used to be.

Using the tiny bit of strength she still possessed, Rebecca weakly crawled away from the still howling monster. Another hatchet flew through the air, and embedded itself firmly in the strange woman's chest. Her crimson eyes went wide, and she released a silent scream as a fountain of blood erupted from the fresh wound. The life-giving liquid also trickled out of her mouth, and she stared blankly forward for a few moments before collapsing to her knees.

Rebecca looked on in astonishment and terror, before suddenly the sound of several pairs of footsteps caught her attention. Turning towards the tree-line, she watched as two long-haired blonde women in combat gear emerged from the shadows. One of them, and the older among the two, had a long and ugly burn mark trailing along the right half of her face, while the other wore a pair of darkly-tinted sunglasses.

What kind of a dumbass bitch wore sunglasses at night…?

The older blonde turned slightly to address her companion. "Attend to the girl, I'll finish up with the undead whore. Oh, and Eda? You still need to work on your aim."

The shorter woman winced slightly, but nodded nonetheless. "Yes, Miss Balalaika."

With that said, she stepped forward and knelt next to Rebecca's still heavily bleeding form. Removing the back-pack she'd been carrying, the blonde reached into it and withdrew a small kit of medical supplies. "Alright kid, stay still and you just might live to see tomorrow."

Normally, Rebecca would have fought tooth and nail against any stranger who tried to touch her, but the combination of blood loss and overall exhaustion finally rendered her unconscious before she could so much as utter a single profane word.

Satisfied that the young brunette was in capable hands, Balalaika turned her attention back to the vampire who'd attempted to slaughter the girl. "Elizabeth Belladonna; born in 1856 in London, England. Transformed into a vampire in 1877 by an as of yet unidentified second party. You have made quite the reputation for yourself in these past few years, what with preying on orphaned street children and all that. But then again, I suppose that children are the most likely targets to possess virgin blood."

Elizabeth's only reply came in the form of a strangled gurgle.

Approaching the downed monster slowly, Balalaika carelessly raised her left leg before harshly kicking the vampiress across the face. Already weakened by the silver permeating her body, Elizabeth's nose cracked under the force behind the blow, and her head was whipped downward into the concrete of the sidewalk.

Reaching into her coat, the blonde Russian woman brought out her favorite custom pistol. The ammunition in the chamber was pure silver, blessed by the Pope himself and soaked in Holy Water for a solid eight hours. No vampire had ever managed to walk away from being shot with her beloved _Tanstor._

Not even bothering to waste her breath on any more words, Balalaika pressed the end of her weapon against the vampiress' temple and squeezed the trigger. Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter splattered across the sidewalk, but within a matter of several moments the female monster's body was already beginning to fade into whips of shadowy darkness.

Satisfied, the blonde tucked away her pistol and turned back to Eda, who appeared to be in the final stages of patching the young girl up. "Will she be alright?"

The former CIA agent nodded. "She needs some more professional medical attention and a few hours of rest, but yeah, she should be fine in a few days."

Balalaika nodded in understanding.

"Good. Let's get her back to base."

* * *

 _(Tobioka City, Japan. Present Day)_

Revy swore as she unleashed yet another relentless stream of gunfire into the seemingly endless group of undead monsters. Her weapons weren't meant for this type of confrontation, but rather a much smaller group of targets.

The foul-mouthed brunette stood back-to-back with Sayo, who was having a far easier time of cutting down the oncoming horde of Ghouls. All she had to do was point her mini-guns in a singular direction, squeeze the triggers, and unleash hell.

Not too long after they had been caught off guard by the Ghouls, Revy and Sayo had become separated from both Ichigo and Balalaika. Neither of them was too worried for either of their comrades, since they were well aware that the orange-head and blonde were more than capable of handling themselves just fine on their own. However, they were by no means thrilled about having ended up with one another.

"I can't believe I might die stuck next to you!" Revy snarled, squeezing off a few more shots before reaching into her belt pouches to retrieve two new clips of ammunition. "I mean seriously, I would have taken the carrot-top over you in a heartbeat! At least he would have provided some halfway decent eye candy…"

"You do realize you're talking about my boyfriend, right?" Sayo retorted, emptying her own weapons before charging into the group of Ghouls with her gauntlets raised. Smashing one of the monster's heads in, she quickly blitzed between targets before any of the surrounding creatures could even get close to laying a hand on her.

"Ask me if I give a shit," the brunette grunted under her breath.

The two women continued to cut down row after row of Ghouls, until finally none remained. The hallway was absolutely drenched in blood and viscera, and the smell of rotting flesh hung close to the ground like a disgusting fog. As their adrenaline finally abandoned them, both Sayo and Revy collapsed to the ground, letting out repulsed groans as their skin and clothes were drenched in the freshly spilled blood.

"You know, for a cow-tittied bitch, I'll admit that you can really fucking shoot," Revy panted, staring blankly up at the ceiling.

Next to her, Sayo let out a weak chuckle. "Yeah well, you're not so bad yourself. Too bad your attitude is so off-putting…"

"Like I care!" the brunette snorted. "I'd rather be the bitch who everyone in the city hates than the prim and proper damsel in distress who can't even fucking tie her own shoelaces. You have no fucking idea how many times I've had some asshole try to tell me how to hold a gun correctly! It pisses me the hell off! I already know goddamn well how to hold a motherfucking gun!"

The blue-haired nurse let out a sigh. "Yeah, I've been there too."

Wincing slightly, Revy pulled herself up into a sitting position as reached into her pocket. Withdrawing a cigarette, she also brought out a lighter and flicked it open. However, before she could bring the flame close to the end of her cigarette, a flash of red blitzed in front of her face.

Blinking several times in confusion, the Chinese-American watched as the top half of her lighter fell to the floor. By the time she realized what happened, Sayo was already on her feet as well, glaring angrily down the corridor.

" _You!"_ the busty nurse seethed, eyes filled with nothing but pure rage.

A maniacal giggle reverberated across the walls, and slowly but surely, Minatsuki Takami walked out of the shadows. A wide, inhuman smile was stretched across the young vampire's face, and her bloody whips were already dancing around her body in anticipation for more bloodshed.

Eyes widening, Revy conjured whatever strength she could and leapt into an upright stance. Pulling her weapons back out of their holsters, she trained both pistols on Minatsuki's forehead.

The brunette vampire's grin widened.

"I hope you two bimbos will put up more of a fight than Tobishiro's men," she sneered condescendingly. "I like to build up an appetite before I eat."

* * *

 _(Venezuela, 1988. Eleven years ago.)_

The sound of a porcelain plate scarping across the concrete caught her attention.

Lifting her head from her torn pillow, fifteen-year-old Rosarita Cisneros looked across the expanse of her tiny cage. The plate of raw, bloody beef on the floor immediately caught her attention, and she leapt towards it like a woman possessed. Snatching the meat up, she quickly brought it to her mouth and _tore_ into the lump of flesh as ferociously as a ravenous animal.

The young girl let out an involuntary moan as the felt the fresh blood flow down her throat and spill over her chin.

The imposing man standing outside of her cell curled his lip in disgust. "Such an animal you are, _mi hija._ But still, it is good for you to curb your bloodlust while you are still young…otherwise you could grow up to be quite the handful. And that would be such a waste of your potential as a daywalker."

Rosarita's blood-red eyes snapped up to her father for a millisecond, before she returned the entirety of her attention back to the juicy meat in her grasp.

Roberto Cisneros was widely regarded amongst the covens of South America as the 'Next Dracula.' His influence stretched all the way from Argentina to the southernmost parts of Mexico, and there were very few vampires within that region who were not under his direct command. Nobody knew when or how he had been turned, but regardless he had still managed to use his supernatural powers to build a rather successful criminal empire.

Everyday citizens weren't even aware of his existence, aside from the numerous young girls his men snatched from various villages across the continent to serve as either slaves or feeding stock. One of the main businesses that Roberto had established was a very effective human trafficking ring, which specialized in targeting and abducting virgin girls. The good majority of these girls were kept in cramped warehouses, until they eventually became food. However, if a certain girl happened to catch the eye of one of Roberto's associates, then they were sold off as a sex slave.

This had been the case with Rosarita's mother, Maria.

Roberto had taken a liking to the young girl, and since he already had an abundance of virgins in storage, he hadn't seen any problem with taking out one young woman to serve as his personal toy. However, by some twisted and nigh-impossible circumstances, Maria had actually become pregnant with his child. There was only a handful of documented cases in all of recorded history when a human woman had conceived an infant with a vampiric sire, but those stories still persisted.

The resulting offspring of such unions were known as _Dhampir._

Dhampir were rumored to be able to walk out in direct sunlight, as well as having the ability to consume both blood and normal human food. Their weaknesses against silver and other holy objects were slightly dampened due to their half-human heritage, which made them a true asset for any vampiric organization.

That being said, they were still the subject of ridicule in the vampire community for being halfbreeds.

That was why for the past fifteen years since Maria's death, Roberto had kept his daughter's existence a secret from all but his most trusted lieutenants. If it was discovered that he had sired a halfling, then his reputation in the supernatural community would be considerably tarnished. And for someone of his position, that was something he simply could not afford to let happen.

Rosarita was growing stronger by the day, though, and as such it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep her contained. Several nights ago, she had nearly managed to tear loose the steel bars lining her cell. Her punishment for that particular escape attempt had come in the form of a shower in Holy Water straight form the Vatican itself.

The burns all over her body were still visible, but her healing abilities were allowing her to regenerate far more quickly than any normal vampire would from such injuries.

For the moment, it was too dangerous to feed Rosarita human blood, as that would possibly jumpstart all of her latent supernatural strength. Therefore, until she could be properly controlled, Roberto had deemed it necessary to only provide her with blood and meat from local livestock.

As the young girl finished licking the remnants of her meal from her fingers, Roberto allowed himself a small smile. _"_ Someday, you will be an unstoppable force of nature. Those _bastardos_ from Germany consider themselves to be our superiors…but they'll get what's coming to them soon enough. We just need to get you big and strong first, eh _niña_?"

Rosarita merely stared up at her father blankly. Her eyes, which had been bright red during her feasting, were slowly returning to their normal shade of blue.

Roberto's smirk faded, and he turned to exit the room. However, just before he could reach the door, a suddenly explosion rocked the entirety of the compound. Muffled screams could be heard in the distance, as could a rapid increase in gunfire. Having nearly fallen to the floor, the vampire pulled himself back to his feet before snatching a radio off of the nearest table.

"What the hell is going on out there?" he snarled.

Nothing but static answered him.

Growling under his breath, Roberto walked over to a cabinet against the far wall and took out one of the AK-47s held within. Unfortunately for him, before he could even begin to load the weapon, at least eighteen bullets tore through the closest door, riddling his body with bloody holes.

The wounds immediately began to hiss and burn, signaling the presence of blessed silver in the bullets.

Gritting his teeth in pain, the vampire collapsed to the floor once again as the holy metal began to take effect on his system. A pair of footsteps echoed down the hallway, and soon enough a woman emerged through the doorway. Her long, blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, and her dispassionate blue eyes surveyed the room as she momentarily ignored Roberto.

She briefly focused on Rosarita, who had extended a single arm through the bars of her cell in an effort to reach the spilt blood she could undoubtedly smell coming from the rest of the compound.

The blonde turned her attention down to the vampire writhing on the floor. "Who is the girl?"

"Go to hell, witch!" Roberto sneered.

A gunshot cracked through the room, and the back of his skull exploded outwards, painting the wall directly behind him with blood and brain matter.

"You first," the woman scoffed. Holstering her weapon, she strode across the room towards Rosarita's cell, where the young girl had ceased her struggles in favor of staring silently at her father's corpse.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

The blonde tilted her head to the side. "I am Balalaika. Do you have a name, kid?"

Silence.

Frowning, Balalaika reached into her overcoat and withdrew a small penknife. Sliding the blade across her thumb without even the slightest reaction, she allowed a drop of blood to rise to the surface of her skin.

Rosarita's attention snapped away from her father's body almost immediately, and her eyes honed in on the speck of blood with an almost reverent look in her eyes.

"I already know what you are, girl," Balalaika stated bluntly. "I've only ever heard stories of halfbreeds, but I've read enough about them to be able to tell the difference between one and a normal bloodsucker. The slight flush in your cheeks. The rise and fall of your chest. The shape of your pupils. Your mother was a human, correct?"

The young girl nodded slowly, still focused entirely on the drop of blood.

"I will ask you again; what is your name?"

"…Rosarita. But some of papa's friends called me Roberta…"

Balalaika smirked slightly in victory. "Are you hungry, Roberta?"

The dark-haired girl nodded, and opened her mouth to extend her tongue forward.

The blonde Russian turned her thumb upside down, allowing her blood to drip from her wound and into the open air.

Roberta's eyes followed the droplet all the way down.

* * *

 _(Tobioka City, Japan. Present Day.)_

Roberta didn't even blink as she caved in yet another Ghoul's skull with her bare hands.

After that night, which felt like a lifetime ago, she had devoted the entirety of her being to Miss Balalaika. Her Mistress was her savior, and therefore she would continue to repay the debt she owed the older woman until the day her flesh turned to dust, and her bones faded from existence.

As Pip and Eda finished off their own group of the undead monsters, Roberta leaped upwards in a spinning kick that sent a Ghoul's head flying from its shoulders. The creature's body slumped forward and fell to the floor with a meaty thud. Letting out a quick exhale, the dark-haired maid turned around to assess the injuries her comrades might have received.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Eda snorted. "I'm fine; just getting a bit tired of all of these fuckers coming out of nowhere…"

Pip merely gave her a thumbs up.

Nodding in satisfaction, Roberta attempted to usher them along. "In that case, might I recommend that we continue forward? It is a poor idea in any combat scenario to remain stationary for too lo-"

The Dhampir's eyes suddenly widened, and she tackled her teammates to the side just in time to keep them from getting decapitated as an enormous red blade sliced through the space they had previously occupied. Pip and Eda tumbled across the ground in a disoriented heap, while Roberta was able to return to her feet much more quickly due to her mixed heritage.

Dashing forward, she lashed out and managed to land a solid hit against their unknown assailant, who let out a brief cry of surprise as he was launched backward several dozen feet. As the dust cleared, Roberta was finally able to get a good look at the man who had attempted to kill them.

And eyepatch covered his right eye, and he wore an open coat that exposed his decently muscled chest and abdominals. Gray military pants and boots covered his lower half, but the thing that caught the Dhampir's attention the most was the five-foot-long blades of blood extending from the man's forearms.

"You are one of the vampires who attacked Miss Hitsugi and Miss Sagiri at the harbor," she surmised.

"And you can hit like a fucking bulldozer…" Senji Kiyomasa grumbled, gingerly rubbing the fresh bruise on his chest. "Who the hell are you, anyway?"

Roberta's eyes narrowed. "My name is none of your concern. Just know that I am the one who is going to kill you." Without another word, she dashed forward again and swung her first directly at Senji's head with every ounce of strength she possessed.

The vampire's eyes widened, and he ducked out of the way just in time to avoid having his skull caved in. The wall that Roberta's fist impacted crumbled like a sandcastle, but the dark-haired woman paid it no mind as she continued to chase Senji down the hallway.

"Whoa! Hey, can't we talk about this?!" the undead man cried desperately.

"I have no time to hear the honeyed words of a venomous mamba," Roberta replied bluntly, leaping into the air and bringing her heel down over the vampire's head. He flung himself to the side with barely enough time, and the concrete beneath the maid's shoe cratered inward.

"How the hell are you so damn strong?!" Senji shouted, finally regaining his balance before dashing forward with his bloody blades fully extended. "You don't smell like any kind of vampire I've ever met before."

Snagging Senji's wrist out of the air, Roberta sent a haymaker to the vampire's chin that launched him off of his feet and _through_ the ceiling.

"I doubt you will ever meet anyone like me ever again, either," she retorted, before leaping upwards through the hole her opponent's body had created. Having lost sight of him for a moment, the dark-haired halfbreed was taken by momentary surprise when she felt a foot impact her spine. She skidded across the floor for a few feet, before vaulting herself into a handstand and then back to a stable stance.

Her eyes narrowed when Senji cracked a genuine smirk. "And what, pray tell, do you find so amusing about this situation?"

He chuckled. "Oh, nothing really. I just love the kind of woman who can kick my ass…"

Roberta's eyes went comically wide, and her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Y-Y-You what?!"

The undead bastard let out a hearty laugh before extending his blades yet again and rushing forward. Roberta's momentary lapse in focus was punished with a shallow slash across her shoulder.

Her eyes snapped down to the tear in her maid uniform, which had until now remained miraculously unsullied. "You…you…how dare you ruin this garment!"

Senji blinked owlishly. "Huh?"

"Miss Balalaika gave me this dress using her own money! You shall pay dearly for damaging it!"

Blitzing forward faster than even the vampire could see, Roberta jerked her knee upward directly into the Millennium agent's crotch.

Senji squealed pathetically as he was launched backward through wall after wall.

* * *

 _(Siberia, Russia, 1984. Fifteen years ago.)_

Twenty-year-old Sofiya Pavolvena sat upon a large piece of rubble, overlooking the devastation done to her childhood home.

Numerous fires engulfed what remained of the once massive estate, and most of the walls had already crumbled away into nonexistence. Dozens of charred corpses dotted the surrounding area, and while some had merely been burned to death, others had been drained of all of their internal bodily fluids before falling victim to the blaze.

The smell of burning flesh hung heavy in the air, but Sofiya didn't even bat an eye at the offensive odor. She had experienced far worse in Afghanistan, after all.

It had been where she had obtained her most prominent physical features…

Idly bringing up her right hand to trace the horrendous burn on the side of her face, the young Russian woman let out a dispassionate sigh before exhaling a long stream of smoke. The cigar held in her left hand had done well in calming her nerves since the attack on the estate had ended several hours ago.

Several pairs of approaching footsteps caught her attention, but she didn't even bother looking up. She already had an inkling of who it was…

A half-naked man was roughly thrown at her feet. Crosses had been carved all across his exposed skin, as had several prominent scriptures from the Bible.

After staring down at him for a moment, Sofiya turned to look at one of her subordinates who had carried him to her. "Has he admitted to anything else of use, Boris?"

The dark-haired soldier slammed an enclosed fist over his heart. "Yes, _Kapitan._ The creature has fully confessed to the crimes of murdering General Ivan, as well as to the destruction of the Pavlovena estate. He has also claimed to be in league with a larger organization, yet we were unable to extract any further information from him."

Rising to her feet, Sofiya took several steps forward until she was standing directly in front of the shivering vampire. "Is that so? You admit to being sent hete to murder my grandfather, but you still refuse to tell us the name of your compatriots? That is certainly unfortunate…"

Raising her foot, the young woman _slammed_ her boot back down onto the vampire's hand. The cracking of bones could easily be heard, and the undead monster let out an agonized cry of pain.

"Please! Just kill me already!"

"If you had revealed the entire truth to my comrades, then I might have considered doing so," Sofiya replied carelessly. "As it stands, however, you will continue to be tortured until I feel as though you have exhausted your usefulness. Boris, take him back to the cage."

The older man nodded gruffly, and moved forward to do as instructed.

"No! No! Wait!" the vampire pleaded, as he started to thrash around in the Russian soldier's grip. Normally, breaking free from a human wouldn't have been too difficult for any class of vampire, but after hours upon hours of being slowly injected with molten silver, waterboarded with blessed water, and being carved full of scripture verses, _any_ supernatural monster would lose a good portion of their strength. "Millennium! Millennium!"

Sofiya raised a hand, and Boris immediately backed off.

"Speak quickly monster, or I may very well lose what remains of my patience," the blonde growled.

"I come from Millennium! The Major sent me! He said to kill all members of the Pavlovena family before they became a problem…but…but I failed! You're still alive! Now they'll be coming for-"

A gunshot cracked through the night, and the vampire's body slumped against the ground. The snow beneath his body slowly turned a bright shade of red.

Boris raised a curious brow. "Forgive me for questioning you Miss, but why did you kill him before he could finish? He clearly had more to say."

Letting out a sigh, Sofiya tucked her _Tanstor_ back into its holster. "I feel as though we might have gone a bit overboard with our torture techniques. His mind was too far gone to relay any rational information. That being said, I still learned what I needed to."

"Are you referring to this 'Millennium', _Kapitan_?"

"Indeed, I am; as well as whoever this 'Major' individual is. I refuse to allow this insult against my family to go unpunished. I will make these monsters pay _dearly_ for grandfather Ivan's death…you have my word on that."

Boris bowed respectfully at the waist. "Does the infamous Balalaika wish to begin a new hunt? I can have the men ready to leave within twenty-four hours. We will just need a bit of time to rest and recover, as well as gather any necessary supplies."

Sofiya smirked. "Very well, take as much time as you feel is needed. In the meantime, though…I would appreciate it if I could have some time alone…"

Nodding once, Boris turned around and ventured away towards the rest of their hastily-constructed camp.

As she watched him go, Sofiya's smile faded away, and she let out another sigh before flicking what remained of her cigar into the snow. Reaching into her overcoat, she withdrew a small locket and opened it up to glance at the picture housed within.

Her grandfather's face smiled back at her, as did a far younger and much more innocent version of herself.

Her heart felt heavy, but she absolutely _refused_ to shed so much as a single tear. She was far too prideful for that.

"I swear to you…I will ensure that your legacy does not die with you tonight," she vowed solemnly, before closing the locket and tucking it away once again.

* * *

 _(Tobioka City, Japan. Present Day.)_

To this day, she still wore her locket.

Whenever Balalaika felt as though the odds were stacked too highly against her, she would always spend several minutes simply gazing at the picture she had taken with her grandfather all those years ago. In doing so, she would remind herself what it was she was fighting for.

Since she had become separated from Ichigo and the others, she had only come across a handful of Ghouls. That in itself was nothing short of a miracle, since she could easily hear their agonized moaning echoing all across the facility.

To be quite honest, she had no idea where she was going. However, she _did_ know that since she hadn't come across anyone else from her team, that meant this area still needed to be surveyed. Walking as quietly as she could down the hallway, the blonde woman eventually happened upon an oddly short staircase, which in turn led to a door.

"When in Rome…" she mused to herself, before ascending the stairs and quietly opening the door.

A cool breeze hit her directly in the face, and it didn't take a genius to realize that meant she had found her way outside. Taking a few cautious steps out into the open, Balalaika did a quick check of her surroundings to ascertain if the area was safe. There was no one else in sight, and judging by the height of the buildings she could see in the distance, it didn't take too long to see that she had made her way to the roof of the compound.

A sudden whirring sound caught her attention, and as she turned her gaze skyward, the blonde woman watched as a sleek black helicopter descended through the air towards the helipad.

Ducking behind a ventilation grate, the Russian woman drew her weapon and waited silently until the helicopter had come to a complete stop. As soon as the large sliding door on the side opened, her ears were immediately assaulted by a rather colorful string of curses…

"Why the _FUCK_ are none of those motherfuckers answering?! Did I hire a bunch of goddamn incompetent dumbasses, or are they just really shitty about doing their fucking jobs?!"

"I apologize, Mister Tobishiro. I have been trying to contact our ground forces via radio, but none of them seem to be responding…"

Kyōji Tobishiro snarled. "Well try harder you fucking moron! And someone patch me through to Goryu; that slut said she had a present for me!"

Two gunshots cracked through the night, and the two bodyguards accompanying Tobishiro crumpled to the ground like sacks full of rocks.

"W-What the hell?!" the crime lord shouted in surprise.

"So, you are the vile little pig that darling Ichigo told me about, hmmm?" Balalaika questioned sarcastically as she emerged from her hiding place, walking out into the open without a care in the world. "In that case, I've got some bad news for you… _THIS_ is it. The end of the line for you."

"Who the fuck are you supposed to be?!" Tobishiro snarled. "You know what? It doesn't matter anyway; when my father hears about this, you are going to be in so much fucking trou-"

He was silenced immediately when Balalaika quickly closed the distance between them and slammed the butt of her pistol into his nose. Bone and cartilage were destroyed, and a fountain of blood erupted from the portly man's nostrils.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you wish to know what has happened to your men," she stated flatly, holstering her weapon before grabbing Tobishiro by the front of his now blood-soaked shirt. "Would you like for me to show you?"

All she received in response was a pained groan.

That being the case, she decided to continue speaking. "In all my years of being in this line of work, I have encountered numerous things that would make any normal man or woman wretch by simply thinking about them. I've seen children disemboweled, yet kept alive to serve as a food source. I've seen women raped so brutally that their bones eventually shatter. I've watched as one of my dear friends had his spine torn out through his throat. However, as incredible as it may sound, I always seem to find situations and individuals that continue to disgust me. Congratulations…you have been added to that list."

"Fuck…you…" Tobishiro managed to groan.

Balalaika merely ignored him. "You sell women like cattle, and laugh at their misfortune. I wonder though…how hard will you be laughing if the tables are turned."

Dragging the man back inside the building, the blonde woman listened for the telltale sound she was searching for. After a moment, she finally heard it, and continued her trek in the direction of the noise. Tobishiro's struggles increased slightly, but he still couldn't manage to escape from her ironclad grip.

After a few minutes of walking in silence, the duo finally turned a corner and came face-to-face with what Balalaika had been searching for.

A decently-sized group of Ghouls…

"What…what the fuck are those things?!" Tobishiro cried in horror. His shout had the unintended effect of catching the Ghouls' attention, and they slowly began shuffling in their direction.

"They are the reflections of your soul," Balalaika replied calmly. "If I were to take a guess, I would say that you've been pampered all your life, correct? Everything was given to you on a diamond-encrusted platter; whether it be food, money, power, or women. That type of environment turned you into a greedy little troll with no regard for anyone else but himself. In other words…a monster…"

Raising the terrified man up to eye-level, the Russian woman curled her lip in disgust. "Say hello to the other monsters for me, will you?"

With that, she hurled Tobishiro directly into the crowd of Ghouls.

The crime lord screamed first in horror, and then in agony as he was ripped apart by the undead monsters. First, his arm was torn off, which was followed by a leg, and then he was literally bitten in half as the Ghouls attacked his midsection. He continued to cry out even as his internal organs spilled out onto the floor, and he was only silenced when one of the monstrosities chomped down through his skull.

Balalaika watched it all, before finally turning to walk away.

"I've taken care of that…but now it's your turn, Ichigo."

* * *

It had to have been at least twenty or so minutes since he'd become separated from Sayo and the others.

Cutting through yet another group of Ghouls with relative ease, Ichigo flicked _Manus_ to the side to clear the blade of blood. His brows creased in slight irritation, and he continued his trek forward in search of Konomi.

'Hey Zangetsu, are you picking anything up?' he mentally questioned the Zanpakuto Spirit.

' **Nope, not a damn thing, Kingy,'** the Hollow replied. **'There's too much going on in the building for me to get any kind of real pinpoint on her location. Remember, I'm not as powerful as I usually am yet…my sensory abilities are pretty fucking pathetic right now.'**

Ichigo let out a sigh. 'Alright, well just let me know if you find anything.'

Turning another corner, the former Substitute skidded to a halt as his eyes landed upon a rather ominous looking pair of doors at the end of the hallway. Turning to spare a brief glance in all available directions, he then slowly approached the doors.

The area was oddly quiet…not even the near constant moaning of the remaining Ghouls could be heard. The only real reason why the undead monsters would avoid any given area would be if they instinctively knew something even more powerful was skulking around. It was like that one nature documentary Yoruichi had forced him to watch several months ago…a group of hyenas, while superior in numbers, would typically avoid a lion in its prime since their instincts would let them know a conflict would end poorly in their favor.

Cautiously passing through the double doors, Ichigo entered an extremely dark room. There were no lights along the walls or ceiling, and as such he could barely see two feet in front of his face.

Stepping a few paces forward, the orange-head's eyes slowly surveyed the darkness.

' **Look out Kingy! Above you!'** Zangetsu roared.

Spinning around, Ichigo brought _Manus_ over his head just in time to block a strike from another blade that would have undoubtedly bifurcated him had his Zanpakuto not been present to warn him. A flash of bright orange sparks gave him a brief glance of a pair of brown eyes, accompanied by long brunette hair and a billowing white cape. Still in a mild state of shock, the former Substitute was unprepared for the boot that slammed into his stomach.

All the air left his lungs, and he was sent skidding back along the floor for nearly a dozen feet. Remarkably, he still managed to remain upright.

As his eyes finally got somewhat accustomed to the darkness, Ichigo looked up at the young woman who had nearly killed him. Aside from what he'd already managed to see, the rest of her attire was almost entirely comprised of pure white clothing. Normally, that wouldn't have merited any concern, but it was the style of said clothing that immediately caused a bit of dread to settle in his chest.

She was a Quincy.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, adopting a battle-ready stance.

The girl's expression grew somewhat complicated. Even through the darkness, and even across the distance between them, Ichigo could still see the regret and hesitance in her eyes. It only lasted a moment though, and she quickly brought her rapier up in preparation for a fight.

"You may call me Bambietta; but today…I will be your executioner."

* * *

 **Damn Balalaika, you scary!**

 **Yeah, not too much Ichigo in this chapter, but I wanted to provide a little more depth to the characters from Black Lagoon, as well as illustrate how different their origins are from canon. As I said, each of them was largely impacted by vampires at some point in their lives, which is how they all came to be found by Balalaika.**

 **And yes, Tobishiro is very much DEAD. We will not be seeing any more of him.**

 **Goryu obviously isn't aware of her Master's demise yet, and therefore she will continue to act in his best interest until the point where she finally learns of his death. We will get several glimpses of her next chapter, as well as the remaining members of the rescue party from Black Label.**

 **Now then, I would like to address a certain review that I have been getting quite consistently on several of my stories. In case you were not already aware, I have indeed abandoned** _ **"A Trial by Heroism"**_ **and** _ **"Fibers of the Universe"**_ **for the time being. The only reason I am bringing this up again is because one guest account in particular has been rather insistent that I update those two stories.**

 **I have abandoned them due to the fact that I know longer feel any passion towards them, and I have since discovered that** _ **Bleach**_ **crossovers appear to be my specialty. Those two stories were** _ **Ben 10**_ **crossovers, and although I am currently considering doing a** _ **Bleach x Ben 10**_ **crossover at some point in the future, that is only because** _ **Bleach**_ **consistently holds my interest. Does that make any sense?**

 **I started** _ **"Fibers of the Universe"**_ **and** _ **"A Trial by Heroism"**_ **back when I was on a major** _ **Ben 10**_ **kick. That phase has passed, but I still might rewrite those stories once one of my current ones has concluded. Why rewrite them instead of simply continuing where I left off? Well, after rereading them several times, I was left utterly dissatisfied with my writing style at that point in time. If I am to continue those stories, then I want them to be good and well written throughout their entirety.**

 **I hope that clears things up.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Red Fraction

* * *

 **Hello everyone.**

 **I always hate to be away from my stories for extended periods of time without giving you all a proper explanation, but college has been kicking my ass recently with projects and presentations. I have been exhausted beyond belief, and I just haven't been able to find the time to properly sit down and write.**

 **Thankfully, though, the semester is finally over. Of course, I still have to go to work, but I will try and work on my stories on my days off as often as I possibly can.**

 **There is nothing I can say that can really express how thankful I have been towards all of you for being so understanding and patient. I barely received any negative reviews on any of my stories questioning by absence, and that has done wonders for my stress.**

 **To address a quick review I received recently, I am sorry if the number of characters and fandoms involved in this story is confusing any of you. However, as unbelievable as it may sound, I have had a plan for every single character since the beginning of this fic. They all have a purpose here, and their involvement is necessary. At the END of this chapter, I will provide a list of major points that you need remember for the future, just to make things clearer.**

 **You'll see what I mean when you get to it. Also, fair warning, I am going to TRY to make this the final chapter in the** _ **Triage X Mini-Arc.**_ **There is still quite a bit I want to cover before this arc wraps up, so this will most likely end up being the longest chapter I have ever written for any story.**

 **As a final note, I will say that from now on, line breaks are meant to serve as a change in perspective or point of view between characters. If any time has passed between line breaks, I will indicate as such.**

 **Let's continue with the story!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

Goryu stared down at Konomi Suzue with no small amount of regret.

She had stood by her decision to abduct the detective, but that did not mean she didn't feel extremely guilty. She knew how horrible life serving under Tobishiro could be, yet she had still willfully elected to condemn another woman to the very same torturous existence. That thought made her sick to her stomach.

Perhaps…perhaps this _was_ a bad idea…

She still hadn't heard any word from her master yet, but there was no doubt in her mind that he was getting close. With that being the case, it was highly unlikely that she could rouse the Detective from unconsciousness quickly enough to help her escape. That was certainly unfortunate…

Leaning against an empty desk, Goryu folded her arms under her breasts and released a heavy sigh.

She would have to forever live with the guilt of whatever Tobishiro decided to do with the woman before her. It made her sick to imagine the twisted desires her master would undoubtedly want to indulge in with the orange-head. She herself had been forced to choke on his pathetic excuse of a dick more times than she could count using both hands. Konomi would likely be forced to perform the same disgusting services. It would only be made worse given the fact that Tobishiro would obviously want to pump the Detective full of Platinum Lily, which would eventually rob her of all ability to think for herself.

She would become a mindless flesh puppet, eager only to serve the person who would be able to provide her with more of the drug.

"I am truly sorry…" the kunoichi whispered aloud.

"As am I."

Goryu's eyes widened, hands flying down to the sword she had at her waist. The ventilation grate above her exploded downward, briefly obscuring her field of vision. In a moment of panic, she blindly ducked her head and rolled across the floor. The telltale echo of sharpened steel scratched against concrete, cluing her in as to what her fate would have been had she remained in place for just a second longer.

Rolling to her feet in a flash of motion, Goryu cautiously returned to an upright stance. To her displeasure, none other than Yuuko Sagiri herself stood across form her. The Black Label agent's hair was already a snowy white, indicating her complete readiness to kill. Goryu had heard talk of Sagiri's prowess with a blade among the grunts Tobishiro employed, but she had never actually crossed blades with the woman herself.

It appeared fate saw fit to rectify that…

"I will make you a generous offer," Yuuko said flatly, eyes narrowing in obvious contempt. "If you hand over Detective Suzue willingly, I promise that your death will be as quick and painless as possible."

Goryu snorted.

Even in a situation as serious as this, she found it amusing just how confident the white-haired woman was that she would be the one to emerge victorious. Sure, it was no secret that Yuuko was incredibly skilled with a sword, but she was fairly skilled within her own right. She was Tobishiro's top executioner for a reason, after all.

"I would honestly prefer to leave here alive at the end of the day," she finally retorted.

Yuuko's expression did not change in the slightest. "Then perhaps you should have chosen a different way of life. As it stands, you are doomed to die at my hand, just like any other common criminal who has elected to follow a path of crime."

In was Goryu's turn to narrow her eyes.

Did this idiot of a woman honestly believe that she actively _chose_ to do her master's bidding? It infuriated her to no end to hear people assume that they knew _anything_ about her life, or what she had been forced to endure for nearly a decade. She was essentially a slave, forced to accept whatever her pig of a master had in store for her. She had been raped, beaten, and humiliated more times than she could count, yet she was still not brave enough to embrace death by her own hands.

And this woman…this _fool DARED_ to presume she knew anything about her life?!

Roaring in fury, Goryu unsheathed her blade and dashed forward with murder in her eyes.

Yuuko's own eyes widened in a moment of brief surprise, but it was quickly forced down. She drew her own katana, raising it up to effortlessly block Goryu's attempt to behead her. Both combatants drew their blades away, before once again bringing them screaming back towards one another in a shower of orange sparks.

Rage still adorning her features, Goryu pushed forward with every ounce of strength she possessed. In any other circumstance, she might have been surprised that she actually managed to push her opponent back, even if it was only by a few feet. At the moment, however, her mind was far too preoccupied with thoughts of slitting the throat of the woman in front of her.

Yuuko returned her gaze with equal fury, and both women danced around the room in a ballet of death and steel. Parries met attempted thrusts at the heart, blocks prevented limbs from rolling to the ground, and slashes were delivered in hopes of cleaving into flesh.

Yuuko kicked out, taking advantage of Goryu's rage-addled mind to effectively catch her off guard. The dark-haired woman choked out a gasp as her opponent's foot caught her in the stomach, propelling her backwards into a large cabinet of surgical tools. The force behind her propulsion ensured that her body splintered the wooden piece of furniture, sending scalpels and syringes flying thought the air. However, before she could allow herself to offer another opening, Goryu rolled into a ball and tumbled head over heel until her feet impacted the wall behind her.

The muscles in her legs tightened up, and she countered the other swordswoman's previous attack by launching herself back across the room. Her arms wrapped around Yuuko's waist, and the crown of her head slammed into the woman's stomach. A gasp of pain sounded off above her.

Good.

Two swords clattered to the floor, and what had once been an elegant show of swordsmanship quickly devolved into a rough grappling contest.

Goryu's fingers found purchase in Yuuko's pristine white hair.

Yuuko elbowed Goryu angrily in her left breast.

Both combatants fought desperately to gain the upper hand, but now that their weapons had been discarded, the fight had become far more equal. While Yuuko was arguably the better of the two with a blade, she was still relatively equal with Goryu when it came to pure physical strength.

That being the case, the two of them continued to battle for dominance, yet were essentially locked in a stalemate.

"Do not presume to know anything about me!" The dark-haired woman of the two snarled. "My life has been nothing short of a hell on Earth, yet you _dare_ to think you know what choices I have had to make? You?! Your life is the epitome of luxury!"

Yuuko grunted in pain as her shoulder blade was forced into an unnatural angle. "I hope you'll forgive me if I feel no pity for one who willingly does the bidding of a monster!"

" _I AM A SLAVE!"_

Yuuko stilled in shock, looking down at the woman beneath her as she burst into tears.

Uncaring of the fact that she was in the presence of a longtime enemy, Goryu continued to sob. "I am nothing but property. I am not a person…I simply exist to fulfill whatever desires my master wishes of me."

Clearly unsure of how to proceed, Yuuko loosened the grip she had managed to get on the kunoichi's wrists. As soon as she was released, Goryu collapsed back down to the ground in a fit of hysterics, curling into a ball.

She didn't care anymore.

All her life, Goryu had _dreamed_ of an opportunity to escape the hold Tobishiro had on her. She had, of course, considered suicide as a potential option, but she had never actually mustered up the courage to take a knife to her wrists or a gun to her temple. She would not kill herself, but if she were to fall to the blade of an enemy, she could accept that.

She was just so tired of the endless cycle…

Now that her rage had abandoned her, she welcomed the idea of Yuuko's blade carving a path through her heart.

"Just end it already…" she hiccuped, glancing up at the Black Label agent through puffy eyes. "I won't fight back anymore."

"I don't think that will be necessary."

Both Yuuko and Goryu turned to the doorway in surprise. Standing there was a blonde woman who the kunoichi did not recognize, yet it was clear that Yuuko herself was familiar with her.

"Miss Balalaika? What are you doing here?"

The blue-eyed woman didn't deign to respond, and instead merely continued to look down at Goryu. Her gaze was an icy blue, colder than the most brutal Arctic tundra. And yet, despite that, there was still a bit of pity carried in those eyes.

Reaching into her overcoat, Balalaika withdrew a cigar and lighter. Sparking up the cigar, she brought it to her lips and inhaled deeply. "Your master is dead," she finally said, blowing out a cloud of smoke. "I was there to deliver him to his fate, and the Ghouls infesting this building were the very instruments of his demise."

Goryu's eyes widened, her mouth opening in a gaping show of disbelief. "W-What…?"

The blonde woman remained calm, speaking around the cigar held between her teeth. "It's rather simple, really. He was torn apart and eaten by undead abominations while he was still alive. I watched as they feasted on his entrails, severed his limbs, and crushed his skull between their teeth. Kyoji Tobishiro is dead. You will never have to obey another order or command from him ever again."

It…it wasn't possible.

She was free? After all of the years of torture, she was finally free…?

New tears flowed down Goyu's cheeks. This time, however, they were not out of sadness. Joy filled her heart, and the unexpected relief of her newfound freedom lifted what felt like seven tons of weight from her shoulders.

And for the first time in several years, she let out a laugh.

A genuine, joyous laugh.

To the side, Yuuko retrieved her katana and slid it back into its sheath. Her snow-white hair flowed back into its normal shade of brown, indicating that the bloodlust had left her system. This fight was over.

"What do you plan to do now?" she spoke up, catching Goryu's attention. "If what you said is true, then you are no longer shackled by the authority Tobishiro held over you. Where will you go from here?"

This ninja woman shook her head in uncertainty. "I…cannot say. Word of my mast…of Tobishiro's death will undoubtedly spread to the other criminal families, including his father. When that time comes, I have no doubt that a bounty will be placed on my head. Or, in the very least, his remaining family will attempt to recapture me…"

Yuuko's brow furrowed, eyes turning to the floor.

Letting out another puff of smoke, Balalaika stepped back into the conversation. "I might actually have a solution for that, should you choose to accept my offer."

Goryu blinked. "And what offer would that be?"

"I am in command of a squadron known as the Pulya Organization. Every single member of my team is female, and each of them have had traumatizing experiences with the supernatural. Myself included." Pausing briefly, the blonde woman took another slow drag from her cigar before continuing. "I realize that you yourself haven't had any particularly negative encounters with vampires, but I still believe you would fit right in with the rest of the team."

"Wait… _vampires?!"_

"Yep," Balalaika snorted, "genuine blood-sucking abominations damned by God. There are plenty of things in this world that the general populace remains completely unaware of, and vampires are honestly on the _low_ end of the threat radar. Even so, my team has made it our mission to hunt down and exterminate these creatures with extreme prejudice. You would be given blessed weapons to help you combat any threat you may encounter, as well as a room all to yourself back at our base in Thailand."

Goryu went silent, weighing her options.

On one hand, she could continue to live in Tobioka City. That path would undoubtedly lead to her having to constantly glance over her shoulder, though. Tobishiro's father would _not_ stand for his son's death, and would no doubt do everything in his power to recapture and bring her in for questioning. She would have to live in constant fear of being forced back into slavery.

Her other choice was far more appealing.

Although she was completely clueless as to the nature of hunting down so-called vampires, she would still be a free woman if she chose to accept Miss Balalaika's offer. She would also get an entire bedroom all to herself, which would no doubt be accompanied by fresh meals. In addition, she would be in the company of other women who would be able to somewhat understand her situation.

It wasn't any kind of a contest…

"I accept," Goryu replied, meeting Balalaika's expecting gaze.

The blonde woman grinned around her cigar. "Lovely. Welcome aboard. What was your name, again?"

"I am Goryu."

Yuuko coughed suddenly, gaining their attention. "This is all well and good, and I am certainly happy for you, but we still need to get Detective Suzue some medical attention. Not to mention, we still need to regroup with the remaining members of our rescue team."

Balalaika nodded. Finishing her cigar, she threw it to the floor and snuffed it out under her boot. "Alright then. Is there anything else we should know before we attempt to leave?"

Goryu nodded. "Yes, there is another young woman somewhere in the compound. She never provided me with her name, but she approached me several nights ago with the promise of indestructible soldiers in exchange for helping her get access to a blood sample from Sayo Hitsugi."

Yuuko and Balalaika exchanged an uncomfortable look.

"The indestructible soldiers she was referring to are undoubtedly the Ghouls currently overrunning the compound," the blonde woman surmised, raising a hand to her chin in thought. "But I can't think of any reason they'd want Hitsugi's blood…"

"I can…" Yuuko replied grimly. "Years ago, Sayo was injected with a virus known as 'D-99' by a group of black-market scientists. Ordinarily, a single dose of the virus is enough to grant the host an incredible boost in physical strength and regenerative power. Sayo has triple the recommended amount of D-99 in her system, making her _vastly_ more powerful than any of the other test subjects ever were."

Balalaika stilled, her expression turning uncharacteristically grim. "Could they be attempting to apply this virus to the Ghouls…? What the hell would happen if you gave an already nigh-immortal creature the power to regenerate from any wound, including silver?"

Yuuko's eyes widened at the suggestion.

Even Goryu found herself paling slightly.

Balalaika's face hardened once again, and she reached into her overcoat. Withdrawing a pistol, she gave the other two women in the room an utterly serious look. "Right then; Goryu and I will go find this young woman and take back the sample of Hitsugi's blood. If we encounter any Ghouls along the way, we will slaughter them. Yuuko, please stay here and keep an eye on the detective. Understood?"

Yuuko nodded.

Goryu did so as well, retrieving her katana and rising back to her feet.

However, as the new trio prepared to move out, the entirety of the building suddenly shook.

What followed shook them each to their very core.

A roar, loud and furious, echoed through every room and corridor in the compound.

* * *

Sayo vomited out a generous amount of blood as she crashed through yet another wall.

For the past ten minutes, she and Revy had been doing their best to keep Minatsuki at bay, but the little vampire bitch had chosen to make her presence known at the worst possible moment. They were already exhausted from the previous challenge of having to cut through the endless horde of Ghouls they had initially encountered.

Minatsuki had undoubtedly been aware of this, choosing to step in once she was certain the two of them were low on steam.

Gritting her teeth, Sayo gingerly pulled herself from the rubble of the ruined wall. Revy stood no chance of winning on her own; she was just an ordinary human, after all. She was a human too, but at least she had the added benefit of her enhanced strength and healing factor. Staggering to her feet, Sayo released another bellow and changed forward yet again, her right fist cocked back.

Minatsuki, who had been holding Revy by the throat, merely smirked at the audible challenge.

Throwing the brunette to the side, she met Sayo's incoming punch with one of her own. A boom echoed down the hallway as their fists collided, with the force of the impact ripping metal from the walls and ceiling. Rubble and dust were sent flying through the air as well, which in turn kicked up an enormous cloud.

Sayo bared her teeth angrily, eyes wide in fury.

She _refused_ to give any ground to the little twat in front of her. The fact that Minatsuki continued to smirk only served to enrage her even more. How _dare_ this little bitch mock her! She was eager to see how wide the girl's smile would be after she tore her arms off and shoved them both up her asshole.

And no, she wasn't kidding.

She was _deadly_ fucking serious…

Unfortunately, much to her horror, a spiderweb of cracks began to spread up her right gauntlet. The metal wavered for a moment, before finally giving way in a shower of broken shards.

"Uh oh…" Minatsuki taunted, tone laced with faux concern. "It looks like your toy finally broke. Such a shame…"

" _SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_ Sayo roared, cocking her other fist back to deliver another blow. Her attempt was quickly met with the same result, and her only remaining gauntlet fell apart just as easily as its twin.

"It's sad, really…" the artificial vampiress sighed, spinning in place and catching the bluenette in the side of the jaw with her foot. Sayo gurgled out an unintelligible response through her shattered mandible, but Minatsuki payed it no mind. "All of this fighting was pointless in the end. All you did was prolong your deaths. If you had just given up when I first showed up, I wouldn't have to be humiliating you now."

Sayo choked out another roar, but was quickly sent sprawling to the floor by a savage kick to her right kneecap. Bone and cartilage shattered audibly, and the Black Label agent's roar was replaced by a scream of agony. A hand gripped her hair, and she was forcefully pulled up into a sitting position.

Minatsuki grinned sadistically, before raising a fist and smashing it into the bluenette's face with every ounce of strength her vampire abilities gifted her.

She did so again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

As the blows continued to rain down, Sayo's face became less and less recognizable. What had once been beautiful and flawless features was now a bruised and swollen mass of flesh. Blood poured from her shattered nose, as well as the corners of her eyes. Teeth were sent flying to the floor, and what remained of her lower jaw was wrenched from its socket. Even with the D-99 in her system, her healing factor wasn't fast enough to keep up with the excessive damage being done.

All the while, Minatsuki continued to smile like a maniac.

Once she'd finally had her apparent fill, the artificial vampire leaned forward and breathed in deeply. Moaning in pleasure as the scent of virgin blood filled her nostrils, the immortal girl licked her lips and opened her maw. A row of prominent fangs, slick with saliva, became visible, and her elongated tongue slid out from between her lips.

However, before she could rip into her defenseless victim's neck, a gunshot cracked through the air. Minatsuki's head was knocked to the side as a bullet impacted her left temple, spraying blood across the nearest wall. Fortunately for her, the projectile apparently wasn't made of silver, as the wound quickly began to heal itself. Snarling, the vampiress slowly turned to glare at whoever had _dared_ to interrupt her well-earned meal.

Revy glared back with one eye, the other being far too bruised to even open.

The brunette was slumped against a rotting pile of dead Ghouls. Her left arm was useless, having been broken when Minatsuki had tossed her aside earlier. A pistol, utterly useless without silver bullets, was held in her right hand. The end was still smoking, making it all too apparent that she had been the one to fire the shot.

"Get away from her, you bitch…"

Minatsuki snorted. She didn't care if Bambietta would be angry with her anymore. She was going to enjoy killing these two cunts. "Your blood has already been tainted too many times. You aren't even worth feeding on. Give me a minute and I'll kill you as soon as I'm done over here."

Revy responded by firing another bullet.

This time, it hit the vampiress in the throat.

"Fine then…" Minatsuki snarled, rising to her feet and stalking over to the downed brunette. "I'll finish you _now,_ and just be done with it."

As the Millennium agent moved away, Sayo's head slumped forward.

"…ill…yo…"

Knocking the gun from Revy's hands, Minatsuki laughed as she wrapped her hands around the older woman's throat.

"…kill…you…" Sayo managed to hiss through her broken teeth and ruined jaw.

Revy's eyes rolled into the back of her head as Minatsuki continued to apply pressure, cutting of her airways and restricting the flow of oxygen to her lungs. Her legs thrashed around frantically, and her face began to turn an unhealthy shade of purplish-blue.

Something buzzed within Sayo's mind, clearing everything else away save for the desire to kill the snot-nosed little brat who was strangling her new friend. The bluenette's eyes, usually such a lovely shade of purple, burned into a fiery crimson. The destroyed bone in her jaw knitted itself back together rapidly, and the rest of her disfigured face began to heal as well. Her teeth gnashed together not only in fury, but now in hunger as well.

She could smell the coppery tang of blood in the air.

It was delicious…

She had to kill that girl.

Kill her!

Kill her!

Kill her!

KILL HER!

No…

" _I'LL DEVOUR YOU!"_ Sayo bellowed, surging to her feet. Raising her smoldering red eyes to the ceiling, the Black Label agent released an ungodly roar that shook the entirety of the building.

Opening her maw yet again, revealing rows of sharpened teeth, the bluenette blasted forward. Clearing the distance between herself and Minatsuki in the fraction of a second, Sayo roared another time and slammed the younger girl's head into the nearest wall. The metal warped and easily gave way under the brutal force behind the impact.

Revy fell to the floor, her one good hand immediately going to her throat. The tattooed brunette lapsed into a heaving fit of coughs, desperately sucking down as much air as she could.

Not paying her friend any mind, Sayo proceeded to _drag_ Minatsuki by the side of her face down the entire length of the hallway. The young girl screamed in agony as metal shards dug into and tore away at her skin. But if she thought the pain would end there, she was sorely mistaken. Pulling the terrified and heavily injured vampire away from the wall, Sayo threw her down the hallway with every ounce of strength she possessed.

Minatsuki flew down the corridor like a comet, crashing through wall after wall. Each impact decreased the stability of the already shaky building. Support beams and chunks of plaster fell from the ceiling, but Sayo paid none of it any mind.

The only thing she cared about was finishing the job.

Releasing a feral snarl, the bluenette stepped over a pile of rubble and followed in the direction she'd thrown Minatsuki.

From her position on the ground, Revy finally managed to catch her breath. As her face regained its normal coloring, the trigger-happy woman stared after Sayo with a wide-eyed expression.

"What the hell…?"

* * *

Bambietta sighed as she easily evaded yet another swipe of Ichigo's sword.

The blade he carried was made of silver, which would have caused her a lot more concern if he had even been able to keep up with her speed. As it was, though, she was entire _leagues_ above him in terms of raw physical ability. Several months ago, such likely wouldn't have been the case. But according to the information she had been given by the Major, Ichigo was still in the early stages of recovering his Spiritual Power.

That meant he was nowhere near the level he had been when he'd fought Sosuke Aizen.

"Who the hell are you?!" the orange-head shouted, desperately rolling under a slash from her rapier. "I thought the Quincies were all dead!"

Bambietta rolled her eyes.

If he was attempting to trick her into divulging information about her superiors' plans, then he was going to be disappointed. She was not so foolish as to rise to his easily detectable bait.

"That is none of your concern," she responded. "I already told you my name, and nothing else really matters. What _does_ matter is that you are a Special War Potential. Unfortunately for you, that means you have to die."

Finishing her sentence, Bambietta conjured a pulsating orange orb in the palm of her hand. She threw it at Ichigo, who unfortunately had enough sense to throw himself to the side just in time to avoid being engulfed in a fiery explosion. Even so, a good portion of the clothing on his right side was burned away by the extreme heat, and a few light burns decorated his shoulder and upper arm.

Apparently, his Spiritual Power wasn't high enough to fully protect him from injury, either.

As the orange-head staggered away from the cloud of smoke her explosion had created, Bambietta calmly approached. "I must say, I am rather disappointed. I had hoped to face you at your full strength one day, but it seems I'll never get that chance…"

She paused briefly upon realizing that Ichigo appeared to be whispering to himself. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she attempted to catch what he was saying. It could be important, after all.

"How much would it take…? _All of it?!_ Are you sure? How long would it take to get back? Hmm…three days isn't that bad. Alright, fine then…"

His eyes snapped back up to meet her own, and she raised a brow in expectation.

"Well? Who were you talking too?" she asked.

"An asshole," the orange-head replied, grinning for some reason. "But fortunately, he told me exactly what I wanted to hear."

Bambietta tensed as a whirlwind of Spiritual Energy suddenly tore through the room. It wasn't a very large amount, but it was still enough to merit caution. She had been led to believe that Ichigo didn't possess enough strength yet to manage such a feat, but it appeared her Daten had been incorrect. She would have to inform the Major of that once she returned to base…

Across from her, Ichigo's eyes bled into a midnight shade of black, with his irises becoming a vibrant and burning gold. Bits and pieces of a hard, white material began to form in random patches across his face. But that wasn't what really caught her attention.

What _really_ caught her attention was the red and black orb of energy gathering at the tip of his left pointer finger…

A Cero.

Oh…

Oh shit.

Brown eyes growing wide, Bambietta threw herself to the side just as the now basketball-sized ball of power tore through the space she had previously occupied, disintegrating everything in its path. As it continued to fly through the air, the Cero Ray impacted the far wall of the room, generating a surprisingly large explosion.

From her place on the floor, Bambietta pushed herself into a halfway upright sitting position. Staring at the trail of the destruction the Cero had caused, it was all she could do to notice that Ichigo was gathering up even more of his Spirit Energy yet again. Such a feat should have been impossible! How was he already this powerful?! He was still nowhere near her own ultimate level of strength, but he still shouldn't have been able to conjure up a Cero of that size!

And yet, he was _still_ able to summon more Spirit Energy after having fired such an attack?!

The orange-head's silver blade was engulfed in an inferno of azure flames, which burned with such an intensity that she could feel it from clear across the room. A brief flash of silver flashed through Ichigo's eyes, and for the shortest of moments, Bambietta thought she saw that same color manifest in a roaring aura around him.

But, just as soon as it appeared, it was gone in the blink of an eye.

Raising his sword above his head in what felt like slow motion, Ichigo's eyes hardened. In the next moment, he brought the holy blade screaming back down through the air.

" _Sanctus…IGNIS!"_

A crescent of white and blue Spirit Energy raced across the room, having been generated by the swing of his sword.

Still on the floor, Bambietta rolled across the concrete in a desperate attempt to evade the attack. The collection of energy followed the same path as the Cero, but when _it_ reached the crumbling wall, it did not explode or dissipate. It continued forward, destroying everything in its path and reducing all that it touched to ash.

Bambietta looked on with wide eyes.

A choking sound caught her attention, bringing her eyes away from the path of destruction. To her surprise, Ichigo fell to a knee, barely able to support his own weight. Realization fell over her, and the Quincy released a relieved sigh. "I take it that you gave that last attack everything you had?"

Ichigo met her eyes with a visible grimace, but did not respond.

Cautiously, Bambietta finally pushed herself back up into a fully upright position. Her legs were a bit shaky, but she still managed to walk closer to the orange-head. "I'm right, aren't I? Your tank is empty."

His glare remained unwavering.

Well, she would give him points for being brave in the face of death. But then again, this was likely not the first time he had been on the brink of defeat. However, those before her had made one singular mistake that she refused to take part in. They talked too much.

She had been a talker once, back in her early days of training.

Now, though? Now she knew the value of finishing off an opponent before they could gather enough power for another attack. Raising her rapier, she prepared to decapitate the boy in front of her.

It was a shame, though…

He _was_ rather handsome.

As her blade started to swing through the air, the entirety of the building shook, sending her off balance. Struggling to regain her footing, Bambietta paled as a haunting roar echoed from somewhere further in the compound. There was no Ghoul she knew of that was capable of generating such a sound…

The only other possible candidates were Ichigo, and-

Oh no…

Sayo Hitsugi.

The Daten she'd been given on Ichigo had proven to be outdated, but she highly doubted the information about Hitsugi would have changed much since their last encounter. The Doktor had warned her about the capabilities of the D-99 in the blue-haired nurse's system, as well as the virus' origins. D-99 was synthesized from vampire blood, and the Doktor had verbally hypothesized that the virus had somehow managed to perfectly blend with Sayo Hitsugi's DNA. She was still very much human, but now possessed all of the enhanced strength, speed, and regeneration of a vampire.

But the D-99 in her bloodstream was triple the recommended healthy dosage.

That technically made her an artificial Dhampir…

Stronger than the average vampire, and completely resistant to the dangers of sunlight and silver.

Bambietta cursed under her breath, sheathing her rapier and turning away from a visibly confused Ichigo. Based on what she'd been told, Sayo Hitsugi had never been able to fully unlock her advanced supernatural abilities, aside from monstrous strength and enhanced healing. The Doktor had suggested, however, that enough stress and trauma might be enough to help the woman tap into her full potential.

That was why she had forbidden Minatsuki from trying to kill her back at the docks.

Extending her Spiritual Awareness, it wasn't hard for Bambietta to locate Hitsugi's rapidly increasing maelstrom of dark power. What worried her, though, was that Minatsuki's energy signature was _very_ close by. And it was growing steadily weaker.

She was dying…

The Sternritter's eyes narrowed,

She wasn't going to let that happen.

Raising a hand to the communicator in her left ear, she attempted to reach her male subordinate. "Senji, are you there?"

" _I'm…fuck! I'm a little busy at the moment!"_

"What? What's wrong?"

" _I'm fighting a motherfucking Dhampir!"_

Bambietta's eyes widened. There were two of them?!

Electing to ignore Ichigo for the time being, she dashed out of the room and sped down the adjacent hallway, intent on rescuing her drastically outclassed comrades.

* * *

Minatsuki sobbed frantically as she continued to hobble away from the monster pursuing her.

She had no idea what had happened. One minute, she'd been in complete control of the situation. Then, before she could even blink, she was being tossed around through the building like an undead rag doll. Electing to take a chance, the artificial vampiress cast a glance over her shoulder.

She wished she hadn't…

Sayo Hitsugi was still following her, though she was no longer running to keep up. The blue-haired woman's eyes remained locked on the younger girl, and she merely walked after her at a calm and careless pace. It was like a cat who already knew its prey was too heavily injured to escape.

Minatuski let out another sob at the realization she was being played with…

She just wanted to go home! She wanted to meet up with Senji and Bambietta, and forget that any of this ever happened!

"Go away!" she screamed, not even bothering to look back at Sayo again.

She didn't want to meet the woman's piercing crimson gaze. It was a gaze she'd become far too accustomed to during her time with Millennium. There were plenty of the Doktor's test subjects who rejected the vampire serum, and regressed into nothing but mindless monsters hungry for flesh. Such creatures, not even describable as Ghouls, were always put down immediately. They were far too unstable to be kept alive.

The gleam in Sayo's eyes still showed a slightly human calculative process of thought, but the majority of her most recent actions still seemed to be ruled by instinct alone. The bluenette was on the hunt, and Minatsuki knew it was finally _her_ turn to be the prey…

Something suddenly caught the front of her left foot, causing her to stumble to the floor. Crying out in shock as she hit the ground, Minatsuki attempted to ignore the pain and stagger back up to her feet. Unfortunately for her, a feminine hand suddenly gripped the front of her face, completely obscuring her vision.

Sayo growled lowly, the sound being hauntingly animalistic.

And then she started to squeeze…

The bones in Minatsuki's skull ground together in ways they were never meant to. The young girl cried out in agony as she felt her teeth crack and shatter under the pressure being applied to her jaw. Her nose was one of the first things to give way entirely, splintering easily as if made of wood. The pressure continued to grow and grow…something else was bound to give eventually…

And something _did._

Minatsuki's screamed as her eyes popped in a shower of blood. The crimson liquid seeped through Sayo's fingers, dripping slowly to the floor.

The blue-haired woman growled, thought the sound came out eerily like a raspy chuckle. Her free hand came up to tightly grip Minatsuki's left arm. The younger girl choked out another agonized plea as the limb was roughly wrenched out of its socket, and then torn from her body entirely.

"S-Stop…" she stammered, shivering in terror as she felt Sayo's hot breath wash over the side of her exposed neck. "P-P-Please…I-I'm sorry!"

Her aggressor paid her begging no mind whatsoever, and leaned forward to rip out a chunk of flesh between her teeth.

Fortunately, at least for Minatsuki, a fiery explosion suddenly tore through the closest wall on the side of the hallway. Sayo snarled, whipping her head in the direction of the blast to face the new threat. However, she never even got the proper chance to assess who she was facing. An orb of orange Spirit Energy flew out of the rippling column of smoke, impacting the Black Label agent in the stomach. It carried her back at least five dozen feet, before engulfing her in another similarly-sized explosion.

Minatsuki scrambled around blindly on the floor in a panic. With her vision gone, she had to completely rely on her senses of scent and hearing to alert her to her surroundings. And, with only one arm remaining, she was forced to awkwardly pull herself along the concrete. She screamed in terror as a pair of arms suddenly encircled her, but the voice that followed quickly soothed her fears.

"Shh…I'm here. It'll be okay."

"M-Miss Bambietta?"

"That's right. Don't worry anymore; we're leaving this goddamn place."

"W-W-What about Senji?"

"I'm here too, squirt," their male companion's voice echoed on her right. "You look like you took one hell of a fucking beating…"

"What gave you t-that impression, fuckwad?"

Senji let out a laugh. Bambietta merely sighed, carefully helping Minatsuki back up to her feet.

"That's enough, you two," the brown-haired Sternritter chided gently. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

It hurt like hell, but the pain was inconsequential.

As her flesh, bones, and muscle knitted back together, Sayo pushed herself back into a standing position. Her eyes closed, and the bluenette raised her nose into the air. She had only been knocked down for a minute at best, but her senses all told her that her quarry was already long gone.

No!

That was unacceptable!

Roaring in fury, she raised her arms above her head and brought her fists careening down into the floor. The building shook again under the impact, and more debris fell loose from the ceiling. The whole place was liable to come down around her at any moment.

But she didn't care.

Curling her lip, Sayo stepped forward, breathing in the scent of her missing prey. Even if it took her an entire lifetime, she would track that little bitch down and _feast_ on her insides!

"H-Hey…"

The nurse's head snapped in the direction of the sudden voice. Standing there, leaning against the closest wall, was her new friend. What…what was her name again?

She should have been able to remember…but…she was just so angry.

 _So_ angry!

Was it…Rebecca?

Renji?

Recky?

Revy?

That was it!

Revy.

The woman was heavily injured, favoring her right side and cradling her left arm gingerly against her chest. In some part of her mind, Sayo felt like she knew how to help her. She had helped people before, hadn't she? That was her job. Or…at least she thought it was. She helped sick and injured people.

 _FUCK!_ Her brain screamed at her every time she tried to think too hard…

She hated it.

"Good job," Revy spoke up, easily praising her. "You kicked that little cunt's ass real good."

Sayo's tongue darted out briefly, wiping away a bit of blood that had been staining her lower lip.

Revy grimaced, but didn't react in any other noticeable way. "So, I guess we should meet back up with the others, right?"

Others?

There were others?

That…that was right. They'd come with a group of people.

They were…they were here to rescue someone…

Who was it?

Shakily, Revy reached into one of the pouches lining her belt and withdrew a cigarette. Bringing it to her mouth, she reached into her back pocket and also took out her extra lighter. However, just before she could spark up, she paused. After a moment, she sighed deeply and cast the cigarette to the floor to be forgotten.

Turning back to look at Sayo, she waved her over. "Maybe this is just my own shitty opinion, but it might be a good idea for you to calm down before we meet with everyone else. I don't think Sis would react very well to seeing you like this. She _is_ a vampire killer, after all."

Sayo blinked.

Vampire?

Was she a vampire?

No…no, she didn't think so.

In fact, she _knew_ she was human. But then, why would Revy say something like that?

"Besides," Revy continued, wincing as something jostled in her broken arm, "Ichigo would probably hate to see you like this."

Ichigo…

That name brought a flash of memories to the forefront of her mind. Ichigo was her lover. Her mate. Her partner. Her _boyfriend._

He had been the one to help her free herself from her previous episode of rage. He had stayed with her that same evening, running his hands along her bare sides. He had kissed her as well, oh so gently. Oh so sweetly. Oh so lovingly.

He loved her.

And she loved him.

Sayo gasped, nearly collapsing to the floor as the red left her eyes. Her teeth dulled as well, returning to their normal humanoid shape. Raising a hand to try and rub away her growing migraine, the blue-haired nurse cast a questioning look at her sister in arms.

"What the hell happened…?"

Revy shrugged a single shoulder. "Fuck if I know. You were getting beaten to death one minute, then you went fucking _apeshit_ the very next. You nearly killed that kid."

"Nearly?"

"Yeah. I only caught the tail end of what happened, but two other people showed up and disappeared with her before you could finish the job."

That was a shame. Sayo would have liked to have felt the girl's neck snap between her bare hands. Of course, Ichigo wouldn't like it if he knew she felt that way…

He would kill, but her boyfriend didn't take pleasure in it like she occasionally did. But even then, it was only when she killed someone who _really_ deserved it. She was removing a stain from the earth.

Oh well…it wouldn't do anyone any good to dwell on such thoughts.

Hauling herself back up to her feet, Sayo approached Revy to get a better look at her arm.

"It's broken."

"Gee, ya _think?"_

The bluenette rolled her eyes. "We need to set it so that it doesn't heal improperly." Reaching down, she ripped off a long strip of cloth from her nurse's outfit. It was a really shitty excuse for a sling, but it would have to do for the time being. Laying a hand on Revy's injured shoulder, she sighed when the brunette hissed and pulled away.

"Don't be such a baby…"

"It fucking _hurts!"_

"Maybe, but I still need to set it. So gimme."

Reluctantly, Revy allowed Sayo to gently grasp and feel the damage to her arm. Then, without warning, the blue-haired woman pushed and twisted the damaged bone back into place.

Revy howled, releasing a string of swears and curses that would make the toughest of sailors gasp scandalously. " _FUCK!_ You goddamn bitch!"

Ignoring her, Sayo wrapped her arm in the hastily-constructed sling. It wasn't something a medical professional would proudly sign off on, but it would serve the required purpose until she could get Revy to an actual hospital. "Alright then. That's been taken care of."

"FUCK YOU!"

Glass crunched behind them, and both women whirled around. They were completely spent, mentally and physically, but they'd both be damned before they allowed themselves to die after all the fighting they'd had to do. Thankfully, though, they needn't have worried.

Ichigo took a nervous step back, obviously not having expected to be greeted with such hostility. "Uh…I come in peace?" he winced, holding his hands up in surrender.

Revy sighed in relief, rolling her eyes.

Sayo, on the other hand, let out an overjoyed squeal. Launching herself at her boyfriend, she wrapped the overwhelmed boy in a bone-crushing hug. "Ichigooooooooooo!"

"Ow, ow! Tender!"

Pulling away from the orange-head, Sayo held him at arms-length and began checking him over for injuries. "Are you okay? Are you injured? Did you have to fight anyone? Did they hurt you?!"

Scowling, Ichigo turned a decent shade of red at her mothering and desperately attempted to worm his way out of her grasp. The burns on his side immediately caught his girlfriend's attention, but he knew they would heal in a matter of days with the help of his Spirit Energy. "Sayo, I'm _fine._ I did fight someone, but she bailed before we could do any significant damage to one another. I don't know why, though…"

The bluenette shook her head, hair flying around her. "It doesn't matter…you're safe. That's all I care about."

Ichigo's blush remained, but he managed to offer her a thankful smile.

Coughing, Revy stepped forward. Sayo noticed that her new friend's gaze lingered on her boyfriend's uncovered, and _quite_ muscular torso for a moment longer than what was really necessary.

"So, are we just gonna keep standing around?" the trigger-happy brunette growled, having realized that she'd been caught in her staring. "We have no idea if there are any more Ghouls in the building, but I _know_ that both of us are outta ammo. If we want to stand a chance of fighting off any more surprises, we need to meet up with the others."

Sayo's shit-eating grin remained in place.

Revy flipped her off.

Ichigo's head tilted to the side in confusion.

"Alright then," the blue-haired woman laughed, throwing an arm around her boyfriend's shoulder. "If that's the plan, then we may as well start moving."

"How are we going to find everyone else in this giant building?" Ichigo questioned.

"Easy," Revy snorted. "Just follow the rotting bodies."

And so, they did.

The corpses of a countless number of Ghouls lined almost every hallway in the compound, and it was honestly a little difficult to tell which had been their own victims. However, as they continued their trek, and turned the corner down a new corridor, the bodies gradually became less and less solid.

Revy had been quick to explain that whenever Roberta fought, she tended to completely _decimate_ her opponents, leaving them as nothing but piles of ruined flesh.

That at least meant they were going in the right direction.

Before long, they turned yet another corner. Ichigo let out a surprised yelp as the tip of a katana suddenly tickled his throat. The woman on the other end of the blade let out a strangled choke as Sayo's hands wrapped around her neck before she could even blink.

However, before the bluenette could kill the bitch who had threatened her lover, the end of a pistol was pressed against the back of her head. She didn't know if she could survive having her brains blown out, so Sayo wisely elected to back down.

"That's better," a familiar voice snarked as the gun was pulled away.

Revy grinned. "Sis!"

Balalaika smiled indulgently, before briefly turning to Goryu. The ninja woman was gingerly rubbing her throat and glaring heatedly at Sayo. "Are you alright?"

The dark-haired woman nodded silently.

Satisfied, Balalaika turned back to Revy and her companions. "What the hell happened to you three?"

The brunette held up her broken arm as a visual reference. "Sayo and I ran into some vampire chick. The little bitch threw us around for a while until Sayo was able to get the upper hand, but someone rescued her before the job could be finished. Ichigo said he fought another girl, too."

Goryu stepped forward, looking directly at the aforementioned orange-head. "Did this girl have long brown hair? Were almost all of her clothes completely white?"

Ichigo nodded.

Goryu turned back to Balalaika. "He fought the girl I warned you and Doctor Sagiri about. She is the one who has the samples of Miss Hitsugi's blood."

"She has my _what?!"_

Balalaika scowled. "Then it seems we are already too late…"

"Perhaps we could track her down?"

"We could," the blonde woman acknowledged, "but it would take far too long. We have no idea where in the city she and her companions could be. Besides, there are several members of our party who require rather immediate medical attention."

Ichigo stepped forward, expression hopeful. "Does that mean you found Konomi?"

Balalaika nodded. "Indeed, we did; Yuuko is waiting with her right now. We accomplished our primary goal in coming here, so I recommend we gather everyone together and get the hell out before the entire building comes down on our heads."

And so, they did.

* * *

Ichigo leaned his head back against the seat of the car.

He was utterly exhausted. It had taken a good portion of his strength to conjure up the two attacks he had used against Bambietta. As Zangestu had said, he wouldn't be able to do anything of the same caliber for quite some time, but he could still feel his body reabsorbing the ambient Spirit Particles ever-present in the atmosphere. He would be up and running again in no time.

He just had to take it easy in the meantime.

Looking outside the car window, he watched as Tobishiro's compound continued to burn to the ground. Their rescue group had collectively agreed that it would be best to destroy all evidence of what had happened tonight. That included the bodies of the Ghouls and the remaining samples of the Platinum Lily that was undoubtedly stored inside.

Konomi had been taken to the hospital several minutes ago in an ambulance, with Miki, Makoto, Oriha, and Sayo accompanying her. Revy had been forced by Balalaika to go with them as well, in order to have her arm properly examined. Surprisingly, Yuuko had voiced her desire to stay behind with everyone else for the time being, which Ichigo found slightly confusing. She was one of the best doctors at Mochizuki General, so why wasn't she going along with the rest of Black Label to keep an eye on the injured?

The orange-head's eyes shifted slightly to the right, where Pip was still engaged in a discussion with Revy's friend, Eda. Neither of them looked very injured, but then again, he'd overheard that Roberta had been with them for the entirety of the mission. Apparently, she had completely _decimated_ most of the opposition they encountered. The quiet maid had even supposedly fought a vampire in hand-to-hand combat, but he had escaped before she could finish him off.

The car's driver side door suddenly opened, breaking him from his train of thought. Yuuko slid into the seat, letting out an exhausted sigh as she buckled herself in. "You and I still need to have a talk…"

Ichigo blinked. "We do?"

"Yes, we do. You promised to tell me everything you know about the supernatural world, remember?" she said, retrieving the key from the glovebox and starting the vehicle. "If anything, the events that transpired tonight have only reinforced my desire to become better prepared in dealing with nonhuman threats. So, spill it. I'm honestly tired of waiting."

He'd nearly forgotten. He _had_ made a promise, hadn't he?

Well, if his father had ever attempted to instill one core belief into his mind, it was that a Kurosaki man never went back on his word.

"I do have one quick question though…" he said. "Not to challenge your judgement or anything, but shouldn't you be going with Konomi? Aren't you the top doctor back at the hospital?"

Yuuko shook her head, switching the car into drive. "Miki is just as experienced in the medical field as I am. Detective Suzue will be in good hands with her, even if I am not immediately present to help monitor her condition. Besides, Sayo will be there to offer any assistance that is needed. Now please, can we begin?"

Ichigo nodded in acceptance.

And so, as they drove away from the burning remnants of Tobishiro's former base of operations, he told her everything he knew about the supernatural world. He told her about his first encounter with Rukia, and how he was first introduced to the existence of the Soul Society. He told her about the Gotei Thirteen, Soul Reapers, Hollows, the Espada, and his battle with Aizen. He even told her about his most recent encounters with Amaterasu. As he relayed his story, the orange-head made certain that he didn't leave out even the smallest of details. He wanted to help Yuuko be better prepared for the future, so he might as well be completely honest with her.

Besides, it wasn't like Soul Society would do anything in retribution.

As far as he knew, Yuuko wasn't even spiritually aware.

As far as he knew…

He had no idea how long their conversation lasted, but Ichigo _did_ happen to notice that they drove by his hotel at least five times. As his story came to an end, the look of utter shock and disbelief written across Yuuko's face did not diminish in the slightest. If anything, it seemed to have grown as he talked.

"So…you went through all of that in only the span of a single year?" she asked once he was done. "And all at the age of fifteen?"

Ichigo shrugged. "Looking back, it _does_ sound kinda crazy, doesn't it?"

"I should say so…those 'Hollow' creatures you described sound particularly terrifying. Should I be concerned about them at all?"

"Nah, I wouldn't think so. Ordinarily, Hollows mainly target living beings that have a pretty high percentage of Spiritual Awareness, and you haven't shown any of the signs. Besides, Soul Reapers are pretty good about purifying the majority of Hollows in the World of the Living before they can become too much of a nuisance in any given area. I'd be more concerned about vampires if I were you."

Yuuko raised a brow. "Can you tell me anything useful about them?"

He nodded. "I'm not an expert, but I can try. From what I've been able to tell, most of the stuff from myths and legends are actually pretty accurate. The Hellsing Organization mainly uses silver in crafting our weapons, which prevents vampires from healing from any wounds said weapons inflict. Holy water is also a good thing to use; it burns the undead bastards like acid."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. A prolonged fight with an experienced vampire is always a bad thing. You'll want to go for their heart or cut off their head before they can tire you out and move in for the finishing blow. Oh, and if you can manage to carve the symbol of a cross into their skin, it'll do a hell of a lot of damage."

"Good to know," the brown-haired woman nodded, eyes moving to look out the window on her side of the vehicle. "Well, as helpful as this has been, I wouldn't feel right about keeping you awake any longer than necessary. I can get your phone number from Sayo if I feel I need any more questions answered."

The car slowed down to a stop as she pulled off to the side of the road. Much to Ichigo's surprise, they were once again right outside the hotel he and Pip were staying in. Unbuckling his seatbelt, the orange-head open his door and stepped out of the vehicle.

"Thanks for the ride."

Yuuko smiled a bit sheepishly. "Don't thank me yet. It's already tomorrow, after all."

Wait, what?

A quick look at the car's internal clock indeed alerted him to the fact that it was already four thirty-seven in the morning. Holy hell, how long had they been driving around for?!

"I won't keep you any longer," Yuuko said, breaking him from his thoughts. "Besides, if what I hear from Mister Bernadotte is true, the two of you have a plane to catch in a few hours." With that, she leaned over and closed the passenger door, before speeding off into the night.

Ichigo coughed, trying desperately to wave the scent of exhaust away from his face. He was already exhausted, and the thought of having to travel all the way up to the penthouse suite did not sit well with him in the slightest. However, the fact that he had a nice soft bed waiting for him made the decision to get moving a whole lot easier. Unsurprisingly, the lobby was completely empty, save for the tired young woman at the front desk who offered him a halfhearted 'good morning.' Only an idiot would have chosen to take the stairs all the way up to the penthouse, but thankfully, Ichigo was fairly intelligent. As such, he made a beeline for the elevator and jammed his thumb against the button that would take him to his well-earned rest.

After minute or so of enduring terrible elevator music, the doors opened on his floor. Ichigo desperately fought to keep his eyes open as he shambled down the hallway towards the only room. Reaching in his pocket, the former Substitute blindly felt around for his keycard. His search yielding no results…

Biting back a curse, he raised a hand and rapped it several times against the penthouse door.

A muffed swear sounded from within, followed by an undignified crash. A moment later, the door was opened by just a crack, and Ichigo raised an unimpressed brow as Pip's shirtless form greeted him. The brown-haired man's usual braid was completely undone, allowing his hair to fall down his back and shoulders in an untamed mane. A pattern of small bruises decorated the side of the Frenchman's throat and upper torso, but he didn't appear to be in any pain whatsoever. In fact, the flush on his face hinted that he was feeling a sensation quite the _opposite_ of pain…

Quickly putting two and two together, Ichigo's expression morphed into an almighty scowl. "I hate you so much…"

Pip laughed, trying and failing to hide what was behind him. "Ichigo, my dear friend! I have no idea what you mean…"

"Heya, Berry Boy!" Eda called cheerily from inside, sitting on the couch. The blonde woman was stark naked, and the light bruises decorating her breasts and neck mirrored those on Pip. A lit cigarette was held in her left hand, and the look on her face was one of complete and utter satisfaction.

Normally, Ichigo might have fallen into an embarrassed stupor at seeing the completely nude from of a highly attractive woman. At the moment, though, he was far too tired to care…

Releasing a sigh, the orange-head turned back to his partner, who was now smiling sheepishly. "Please tell me you at least haven't done anything on my bed…"

The fact that Pip remained completely silent didn't help alleviate his fears.

There was _no_ way he was going to sleep in a bed that smelled of sweat and sex.

"Fuck you…" Ichigo sighed, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Fuck you a thousand times over."

"Edith has that covered," Pip snarked.

Ichigo punched him in the stomach.

It hadn't even been that hard of a blow, but the Frenchman still doubled over and fell out into the hallway with his ass in the air. Eda laughed loudly, waving goodbye to Ichigo as the orange-head turned and left. He had the unfortunate feeling that the two new lovebirds weren't even close to being finished, which of course meant he would have to find somewhere else to stay for the night.

Or, in the very least, he would have to find something to occupy his time until it was time to board their plane in a few hours.

Taking the elevator back down all the way to the ground floor, he decided to simply go for a walk. Tobioka City might have been renowned for its high crime rate, but Ichigo was more than confident he could defend himself against any common street thugs who were idiotic enough to try and jump him. The night air was cool, and the slight chill helped him wake up slightly.

He was still exhausted, but being in constant motion was at least enough to help him stay relatively awake.

Several people passed him as he walked down the street, but for the most part there was hardly anyone out and about. Only nighthawks were up at this ungodly hour. Ichigo didn't even have a particular destination in mind, but he still continued forward. Reaching into his pocket, he briefly brought out his phone to check the time.

Five o'clock on the dot…

He debated calling Sayo, but she was likely still busy monitoring Konomi's condition. He wouldn't want to take her attention away from something so important, even for a moment.

After several more minutes of walking, a small establishment caught Ichigo's eyes. It looked like a mixture between a café and bar, which seemed kind of odd. However, if they were selling coffee, he wasn't about to pass up on the opportunity to get some caffeine in his system. A little bell chimed above the front door as he entered, and the bartender sent him a nod of acknowledgement.

Ichgio nodded back, before turning to find a seat.

At first, he zeroed in on an empty booth against the far back wall of the room. However, a bright flash of hot pink, which contrasted starkly with the rest of the dark and drab colors in the bar, caught his attention. The pink was shaped in the form of a hardened cast, which in turn was attached to a rather familiar face…

"Revy?" Ichigo called out, hesitantly moving towards her.

The brunette woman raised her head, and peered back at him through half-lidded eyes. It was immediately clear that she was already _heavily_ intoxicated, if the way she was slumped on her barstool was any indication. Her eyes were also slightly glazed over, and it seemed like she was having a bit of difficulty focusing on him as he sat down next to her.

He counted five empty beer bottles resting on the bar next to her…

"Ich-Ichigo…?" she replied, voice slurred and brow furrowing. "What're you doin' here?"

"I could ask the same of you," he responded. "Shouldn't you still be in the hospital?"

She waved him off, resting her right cheek back down against the cool wooden surface of the bar. "M'fine. All they had t'do was give me a real cast. Your bitch of a girlfriend said the only color they had left was pink…"

"I doubt that was actually true…"

Revy snorted, bringing her half-empty bottle of booze up to her lips. Her current position made the process of actually drinking anything a bit awkward, and most of the beer fell from her lips and spilled out on the bar. She gave the bottle a harsh glare, as if daring it to try and deny her any more alcohol.

Ichigo frowned.

He was completely aware that he could be rather…well… _dense…_ in certain situations, but he could still tell that something was wrong here. The brunette's current attitude seemed a far cry from her normally brash and vocal self. Even if he _had_ only known her for the better part of half a day, the orange-head knew that something was troubling her.

"Got something on your mind?"

Revy shrugged.

"Arm feeling better?"

"S'okay…I guess," she replied. "Ain't tha first time I've had broken bones…"

That made sense. If the Pulya Organization was anything like Hellsing, then it stood to reason that physical injuries were fairly commonplace. Attempting to continue the conversation, Ichigo decided to ask her about it. "Does your job mean you get hurt a lot?"

Revy's expression turned startlingly blank. "Wasn't talkin' bout the job…"

Her tone spoke of something that was personally uncomfortable to discuss. Unfortunately for her, her inebriation made for loose lips. Ichigo was fairly sure she'd regret opening up to him come the morning. But for now, if she wanted to talk, he would willingly listen.

"I was raped when it was a kid…" she stated rather bluntly. "It happened a lot actually. I lived in New York back then, and this group of asshole cops would pick me up every now and then on bullshit allegations. They would take me back to the station, and sometimes they only decided to beat me until I was black and blue. Other times…other times they wanted more…"

Ichigo clenched his fists. His knuckles cracked.

"Sometimes they fucked me until I started bleeding. Sometimes it only stopped when my bones cracked. There was even one time they fucked me into unconsciousness…"

Revy's grip on her bottle tightened. A spiderweb of cracks spread across the glass.

The bartender suddenly stepped forward, collecting all of her empty bottles. To Ichigo's surprise, though, the older man also sat a fresh drink down directly in front of him. The orange-head opened his mouth to voice his confusion, but the bartender merely shook his head.

"Trust me, kid," the man said. "Some of the stuff you hear makes you need a drink or two."

If Revy heard any of what was said, she didn't bother to acknowledge it. As the bartender moved away. she continued speaking. "You never forget it, ya know…? The feelin' of being forced to gag on some disgusting pig's cock. But no matter how many times it happened, I never cried…"

Throwing personal preferences to the wind, Ichigo uncapped his free drink and downed half of it in a single go. The taste was bitter and rancid, but he could see why some people sought to use it as a crutch.

The woman next to him hiccupped, and the now-empty bottle fell out of her grasp and rolled across the surface of the bar. "I never cried, but it always made me feel so _weak._ I hated it…still do, to be honest. That's why I joined up with Sis. The night she found me, she seemed _so_ strong. I was willing to give _anything_ to be like that…"

"You _are_ strong," Ichigo finally cut in. He felt Revy's eyes shift up to look at him, but he didn't return her gaze. He was far too busy imagining what he would do to the men who abused her if he ever got his hands on them. No one deserved to be treated like she had. "Trust me…in the past few years, I've been around some incredibly strong women. Don't believe me if you want, but you're one of the strongest I've ever met."

The brunette snorted. "Tell that to the little vampire bitch who broke my arm…"

"There's more than one type of strength," he countered. "I have a friend back home. She isn't physically powerful at all, but she never gives up, even when things are going to hell around her. Most people in her position would have probably gone insane by now, but she always finds a way to get back up and keep pushing forward. Your strength is different, though."

Revy lifted her head from the bar, now apparently interested in what he had to say.

So, he continued. "You don't take shit from anyone, and I respect that. That's actually something we have in common. You're also just an ordinary human, which makes you so much more incredible."

Sparing a brief glance at the bartender to make sure the man wasn't eavesdropping, Ichigo turned back to Revy. "I have Spiritual Powers to back me up, and even though they aren't as strong as they used to be, they still give me an advantage. You? All you have to rely on is you own personal wits and intuition. One mistake on your part could spell the end, but that makes the fact that you still do what you do all the more admirable. You're a badass."

Revy's blank expression slowly morphed into a sly grin.

The one good thing about her drunken state was that it was fairly easy to influence her emotional state. Thankfully, he'd managed to get her back into a positive attitude.

"Well, ain't you a sweet talker…" she purred. "Color me surprised, kiddo…how did you know just what to say?"

"I've had to get used to forcing myself out of negative thoughts," Ichigo replied, only partially uncomfortable with the way Revy was leaning into his personal space. "Let's just say helping people see the good in themselves had become kind of a habit for me at this point."

An arm was slung around his shoulders, and Revy leaned against him heavily. She might be in a better mood, but she was still quite drunk…

"Thanks for the pep talk…" she slurred against his collarbone. "Didn't need it, thought…"

Ichigo sighed.

So, she was still trying to put on a tough farce, huh? Everyone needed to allow themselves a moment of weakness every now and then, but if Revy refused to admit that she had just done so, he wouldn't deny her that. He couldn't blame her for wanting to stay strong, especially in front of a stranger such as himself.

"I know you didn't," he replied, bringing a hand to rest between her shoulder blades.

The brunette chuckled deliriously, but her amusement quickly vanished as she started to gag.

Ichigo yelped, throwing himself away from her just in time to avoid the stream of vomit that covered the entire front of her tank top.

* * *

 _(The Following Morning; After Sunrise)_

As soon as she opened her eyes, Revy wished she was dead…

A headache more powerful than any she'd ever experience before pulsed through her skull, and the bright light shining through her hotel room's window offended her eyes in the most painful of ways. She also vaguely detected the scent of puke…

Jesus Christ, how blitzed had she been last night?

Uttering a long string of swears and curses under her breath, the brunette slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position. As she moved, however, something immediately felt off…

Throwing aside her bedsheets, Revy looked down at herself. Her favorite black tank top was nowhere to be seen. In it's place was a plain, gray t-shirt that was several sizes too big for her. Her mind immediately flew into a panic.

Someone had undressed her…

Someone had _undressed_ her!

Painful memories of having her face pressed against a hard, concrete floor flashed through her head, accompanied by even more memories of being brutally taken from behind. The brunette's breathing became ragged, and beads of sweat started to fall down her face.

However, as her eyes traveled lower, a wave of relief crashed over her as she realized her shorts and panties were still on. There was also a lack of pain between her thighs, which finally helped her accept that she _hadn't_ been raped again.

Leaning back against her pillows, Revy released a relieved sigh. "What the fuck happened…?"

Shattered fragments of last night's events passed through her memory. She'd…she'd gone to a bar, that much she knew. She'd also had a few drinks, before running into someone she knew.

Who had it been…?

The door to her room suddenly opened, and Roberta stepped in. The bespectacled woman walked over to Revy's bedside, and held out a small bottle of pills. "Here."

The brunette took the offered bottle in hand. "The fuck are these?"

"Pain relievers. I must say, I don't think I've ever seen you so out of it before. And that is definitely saying something, considering alcohol is like oxygen for you."

Revy flipped the other woman off, but swallowed several of the pills nonetheless. "What the hell happened last night? How did I get back?"

The tiniest hint of a smug smile tugged at Roberta's lips. "Ichigo carried you."

Revy went still.

That only seemed to add even further to Roberta's amusement. "Oh yes, he carried you piggyback for several blocks all the way from that rundown little bar to the hospital. It was quite the sight to see a shirtless young man carrying a loudly snoring woman like that."

The brunette's fingers clenched at the hem of her oversized shirt. "So, this is his…?"

The dark-haired maid nodded. "I would assume so. You were already dressed in it when the two of you arrived. Miss Balalaika was still going over our rules and regulations with our newest member, when Ichigo stumbled through the front doors of the hospital with you passed out on his back. You also gave him a few love bites along his neck."

Revy groaned.

Roberta chuckled softly, attempting to hold back her growing mirth. "Don't fret; Miss Hitsugi was not present to witness what happened. Just so you know, we will be going as a group to see Mister Kurosaki and Mister Bernadotte off in about an hour and a half. Please get dressed and have a shower before then."

With that, the maid moved to exit the room, leaving Revy alone with her thoughts.

She now clearly remembered throwing up on herself, but that was the last thing that had happened before she'd blacked out. That meant Ichigo had been considerate enough to give up his own clothing so she wouldn't have to go around in vomit-encrusted clothing. He'd also thought to carry her back to the rest of her team, instead of leaving her passed out in the bar and at the mercy of the other patrons.

Despite herself, Revy found a smile creeping across her face.

Well, it wasn't really a smile. More like a flattered and amused grin.

The kid was sweet, she'd give him that.

"Heh…well whaddya know…?"

* * *

 _(One Hour Later)_

Their private jet had already arrived several minutes ago.

All that was left was to say goodbye to their new friends.

Ichgio felt nearly all of the tension leave his body as Sayo's lips continued to mould against his own. The blue-haired beauty's fingers weaved through his hair and massaged his scalp. It was fairly obvious how much she was going to miss him.

Finally pulling away, Sayo sighed blissfully and offered her boyfriend an immaculate smile. "You'd better call as often as you can."

He nodded, grinning in return. "You bet."

She smiled again, and brought him in for a final hug. He returned it with equal affection, looking over his girlfriend's shoulder to see Pip and Eda going through a similar exchange. Ichigo would have never guessed that the two of them would end up feeling mutual attraction for one another, but he wasn't going to judge.

Whatever had happened between them in Tobishiro's compound, he was glad it brought them together.

He just wished they hadn't fucked on his bed…

Sayo finally stepped away, moving back over to join the rest of her teammates. Yuuko, Miki, Oriha, Sonia, and even Doctor Mochizuki himself had all come out to see them off. Even Arashi, who had finally been released from the intensive care ward, and been wheeled out onto the tarmac by Makoto to come say goodbye. The brown-haired young man was still fairly harsh towards Pip, but that was understandable. The Frenchman _had_ given him a severe concussion, after all.

Ichigo's eyes left the Black Label group, flicking over to the members of the Pulya Organization.

Balalaika had another cigar between her lips, but a fond smile was in place of her usually unimpressed expression. They made eye contact briefly, and the blonde woman sent a respectful nod his way.

He smiled, and nodded back in kind.

Goryu stood next to Roberta, and although there had initially been some lingering hostility between the dark-haired ninja woman and the members of Black Label, Ichigo could honestly say he was happy for her. After he'd carried Revy to the hospital last night, the two of them had finally had a chance to be properly introduced. Balalaika had subsequently informed him of Goryu's tortured past, which made him all the happier that Tobishiro was finally dead and gone.

Eda was still sucking face with Pip, so he decided to skip over her…

That said, his eyes finally met Revy's. Ichigo was honestly a little nervous about what she would do to him, considering he _had_ removed her shirt last night. Hopefully, she would understand that his intentions had been nothing but pure.

She brown-haired woman's eyes narrowed, and she moved forward towards him.

Ichigo swallowed thickly.

The gunslinger stopped directly in front of him, and although she only came up to just under his nose, the orange-head couldn't help but feel intimidated.

"You undressed me."

"Yeah…"

"Did you cop a feel?" she snarled, raising an eyebrow in suspicion.

Ichigo's eyes widened, and he rapidly shook his head. "No! I would never do something like that! I respect you too much to-mmph!"

His words were halted when Revy slapped a hand over his mouth using her one good arm. The brunette let out a sigh, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "You could've just said 'no', you know?"

She removed her hand, and Ichigo let out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah…sorry."

"Don't be," the tattooed woman grinned, a devious gleam flashing through her eyes. Her hand, which had previously been pressed over the orange-head's lips, grabbed a fistful of the front of his shirt.

"What're you…?"

Revy's grin turned positively dastardly. "This is revenge for your bitch of a girlfriend sticking me with a pink cast…"

She pulled him down, and her lips _smashed_ against his own.

Ichigo's mind went blank.

Somewhere to the side, Sayo shrieked indignantly.

Roberta gasped in quiet surprise, bringing a hand to her mouth.

Balalaika's cigar fell out of her mouth.

Pip managed to pull himself away from Eda long enough to offer a supportive cheer.

As for Ichigo himself, all he could do was stand there in complete shock as Revy's tongue invaded his mouth and intertwined with his own. Her kiss was _completely_ different than those he'd shared with Sayo. Where Sayo's kisses had been passionate yet tender, Revy's was _hungry._

He only realized that the brunette had been forcefully pulled away when she and Sayo entered a screaming competition. Yuuko visibly sagged, and attempted to step between the two young women in an effort to get them to stop.

A hand settled on Ichigo shoulder, pulling him out of his trance. He looked over, seeing Balalaika giving him an amused smirk.

"You might as well get going," the Russian woman suggested. "I think they're going to be at it for a while.

Ichigo nodded dumbly, allowing himself to be pulled away by Pip and onto the jet.

Wow…

This mission had definitely proven to be interesting, but now it was time to go home.

* * *

 **And there we have it.**

 **The end of the** _ **Triage X Arc.**_

 **I hope this longer than usual chapter makes up for how long I've been gone. I hate to keep you guys waiting for longer than necessary, but sometimes life can sneak up on you. School occupied the majority of my time for the past few months, so I had to devote more focus to that. I've also started back at work again, and it demands a good majority of my time. I try and write a bit each day before I have to leave, and then all day on my days off, but sometimes I need more time.**

 **Anyway, I just want you all to know that I appreciate your patience.**

 **However, in response to the one reviewer who wants me to solely focus on Ichigo, I will say that experiencing the story from multiple perspectives is key to it being properly understood. I don't care if you don't want to hear about Goryu's and Revy's tragic backstories. They are important to the plot.**

 **Now then, as promised, here is the list of important events that have occurred thus far in the story:**

 **1\. Ichigo is employed by Integra Hellsing on request from his father. He meets Walter, Alucard, and Seras. He and Seras also begin to bond.**

 **2\. Ichigo, Seras, and Alucard encounter Alexander Anderson in Ireland while on assignment. It is revealed that Anderson knew Ichigo's mother, Masaki. Anderson also makes it his personal mission to 'rescue' Ichigo from the clutches of the Hellsing Organization. Heinkel Wolfe also knew Masaki, and feels a close familial bond towards Ichigo.**

 **3\. The Valentine Brothers attack Hellsing Manor, accompanied by a small army of Ghouls. Luke Valentine is killed by Alucard, while Jan Valentine is killed by a Semi-Hollowfied Ichigo. The only reason Ichigo was able to enter this state is because he received a substantial boost in Spiritual Energy from Alucard.**

 **4\. Seras' feelings for Ichigo have grown. It is also briefly implied that Yoruichi also feels some form of attraction towards him.**

 **5\. Pip Bernadotte and the Wild Geese are hired by Integra to replace all of the staff members the Hellsing Organization lost during the attack not he manor. A meeting is also arranged between Integra and Enrico Maxwell, leader of the Iscariot Organization. Maxwell reveals to Integra that the Valentine brothers were in league with Millennium, a rogue Nazi science division. It is also revealed that the Catholic church helped the Nazi's escape to South America following the Second World War. The Major and the Doktor eavesdrop on the meeting.**

 **6\. Alucard and Seras are sent to Brazil to investigate a lead concerning Millennium, while Ichigo and Pip are sent to investigate whether or not Black Label, a group of vigilantes based in Tobioka, Japan, are associated with the Nazi organization as well.**

 **7\. Ichigo encounters Kugo Ginjo, who is the leader of a team known as Xcution. Ginjo reveals that he is friends with Kisuke Urahara.**

 **8\. Ichigo and Pip meet up with Konomi Suzue, who is a detective in the Tobioka City Police Department. They later encounter and battle several members of Black Label during a stakeout. It is revealed that they are not in fact working with Millennium, and Ichigo is heavily injured during a battle with his childhood friend, Sayo Histugi.**

 **9\. Ichigo recovers at Mochizuki General Hospital, while Sayo reflects on how she first met him and his family. She and Yuuko then go on a mission to intercept a shipment of Platinum Lily, which is a highly addictive drug coveted by crime lord Kyoji Tobishiro.**

 **10\. Bambietta Basterbine, who is a Quincy in league with Millennium, meets with Tobishiro's bodyguard, Goryu. The two of the strike a deal: Bambietta and her associates will secure the Platinum Lily, in exchange for being allowed to take a sample of Sayo's blood.**

 **11\. At the harbor, Yuuko battles on of Bambietta's subordinates, Senjji Kiyomasa, who is an artificial vampire. Meanwhile, Sayo battles Minatsuki Takami, who is also an artificial vampire. Minatsuki wins the fight, and she and Bambietta extract a blood sample from Sayo. They are forced to retreat after Kugo Ginjo and Jackie Tristan arrive not he scene.**

 **12\. At Mochizuki General Hospital, Ichigo is told about Sayo's past. It is revealed that she was injected with a triple does of a virus known as D-99, which is synthesized from Vampire blood. Sayo awakens, and subsequently goes on a rampage. Ichigo manages to calm her down, and the two of them enter a romantic relationship.**

 **13\. Konomi Suzie is kidnapped by Goryu, who intends to offer her to Tobishiro as a gift. Ichigo contacts Black Label, and they all agree to help him stage a rescue operation. He also attempts to ask Ginjo for assistance, but the man redirects him to Balalaika, who is the head of a group of vampire hunters known as the Pulya organization.**

 **14\. Ichigo, Pip, Yuuko, Miki, Sayo, Oriha, Makoto, Balalaika, Revy, Eda, and Roberta all infiltrate Tobishiro's compound to rescue Detective Suzue. They divide into teams to survey the building.**

 **15\. Team One consists of Sayo, Balalaika, Revy, and Ichigo.**

 **16\. Team Two consists of Roberta, Pip, and Eda.**

 **17\. Team Three consists of Mikia, Makoto, Yuuko, and Oriha. (This team is not depicted very much in the story. However, they too were battling against Ghouls).**

 **18\. Sayo and Revy get separated from their group, and battle a horde of Ghouls (the Ghouls were created by Senji and Minatsuki, who betrayed Tobishiro's men and infected them). They are then met by Minatsuki, who proceeds to nearly kill them. However, Sayo awakens her latent vampiric abilities (due to the D-99 in her bloodstream), and nearly kills Minatsuki.**

 **19\. Ichigo battles Bambietta, and manages to fend her off at the expense of a good portion of his Spirit Energy. Bambietta leaves the fight to meet up with Senji, who was fighting Roberta, to rescue Minatsuki. The Millennium agents then escaped the scene.**

 **20\. Yuuko breaks off from Team Three and encounters Goryu. The two of them fight briefly, but the scuffle is interrupted by Balalaika, who had recently killed Tobishiro. She offers Goryu a place in the Pulya Organization, which the ninja woman accepts.**

 **21\. Konomi is rescued, and she is taken to the hospital.**

 **22\. Pip and Eda begin a physically intimate relationship. Will this lead to genuine romance? Only time will tell.**

 **23\. During a drunken stupor, Revy confides in Ichigo about her abusive past. She kisses him the following morning, under the pretense of wanting to get revenge on Sayo for sticking her with a pink cast.**

 **24\. Ichigo and Pip board a plane to return to England.**

 **A good number of people have complained in the review section, saying that there are far too many characters and series involved in this story. I understand your frustration, and I will admit that perhaps I got a little ahead of myself when deciding to incorporate ate all of these series. However, all of them have a place in the plot. If you have any questions, concern, or are just confused about something, please feel free to message me through PM.**

 **If you have a question that you actually want answered, DO NOT post it as a review. Send it to me directly.**

 **As far as new characters are concerned, there will be a few more introduced before the Battle of London. However, the majority of them will come during the** _ **DxD Arc,**_ **which will come AFTER the Battle of London. Yes, I plan to continue this story even after the events of** _ **Hellsing Ultimate**_ **have concluded. I will explore several plot pints from** _ **Highschool DxD,**_ **as well as the Thousand Year Blood War Arc from** _ **Bleach.**_

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Dandy Man Can

* * *

 **Hello all!**

 **I'm glad the previous chapter was received so warmly, but there were a few things several people brought up that I would like to go ahead and address. Firstly, there was the scene with a drunken Revy opening up to Ichigo. I understand that this might have seemed out of character for her, but keep in mind that I was attempting to portray her in an emotionally low place.**

 **In this universe, Revy suffers from an extreme fear of being weak. Considering her backstory from** _ **Black Lagoon,**_ **this isn't beyond the realm of possibility. In the show itself, Revy constantly puts on an aggressive and brutal facade, but it was confirmed that she is actually incredibly fragile on the inside. That's why she has constantly been determined to keep Rock from being corrupted by the underworld of Roanapur. At least, that is what's portrayed in the manga.**

 **Last chapter, she was soundly taken out of the fight by Minatsuki, and then had to be rescued by Sayo. Her fear of weakness clouded her mind, and she attempted to drown her self-doubt in alcohol. Then Ichigo showed up and had to break her out of her melancholy.**

 **Also, it's a fairly commonly known fact that booze can make you do things you wouldn't normally do. And yes, I know Revy is a heavy drinker, but enough alcohol can make you turn into an entirely different person provided you consume enough.**

 **Just saying.**

 **Alrighty then!**

 **This chapter marks the beginning of what will henceforth be dubbed the** _ **Family Ties Arc.**_ **There won't be much Ichigo or Pip in this chapter, since I will be focusing on what Alucard and Seras have been doing in Brazil.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE:**

 **The events of this chapter take place during the same period of time as Ichigo and Pip's mission to Japan. Keep that in mind while you read.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

It had quickly become obvious that traveling in a six-by-three-foot box was extremely uncomfortable.

That discomfort was magnified exponentially due to the fact that their flight was eleven and a half hours long. Still, her Master had been firm in his demand that she remain in the cargo hold, and Seras was not one to argue. At least her coffin was large enough for her to slightly move around in. The inside had also been padded with cushions by Walter, which thankfully made it far more comfortable than it would have been otherwise.

At least the alone time allowed her to mull over her thoughts.

Rolling onto her side, Seras released a light sigh and closed her eyes. The events of the past few weeks were still extraordinary beyond belief, but against the odds, she had still come to accept it all. Besides, it wasn't exactly like everything was too bad.

Sir Integra was stern, but she was still fair and caring.

Walter was like a kindly old grandfather. Seras genuinely appreciated everything the elderly retainer had done for her with all of her being.

Her Master was…ugh…

And then there was Ichigo.

Thinking about the orange-head brought a warm feeling to her otherwise cold chest. She had experienced a similar sensation some years ago, but that had been a pale imitation of her current infatuation. In fact, it had only been a schoolyard crush, and it had only lasted a week and a half at best.

The first few days of settling in at the Hellsing Manor had been…difficult…to say the very least, but Ichigo's presence had made the transition so much easier than it likely would have been had he not been there. He was kind, and did his best to make sure that she knew she had a friend. He was also very protective, which was slightly ironic given the fact she could likely crush his ribcage by pure accident.

Not that she would actually do such a thing!

Ichigo was her best friend. Though, to be truthful Seras wished he could be much more…

After the talk she'd had with Integra in the aftermath of the attack on the manor, she had decided that she was done lying to herself. True, they'd only known each other for a week and a half at best, but Seras was confident in the fact that what she felt for Ichigo was love.

She loved him.

It was such a _euphoric_ sensation.

Now, if only she could get him to return those feelings…

Damn her shy and meek attitude! If only she'd had the courage to tell him how she felt before they'd left for their missions, they might already be together!

' _That's the spirit, Police Girl.'_

Seras went stiff as a board at the amused voice that echoed through her head. "Master…? Have…have you been reading my mind?!"

' _There is not much else to do. Besides, your emotional turmoil is quite amusing to listen to.'_

" _Master!"_ she whined, curling in on herself.

Alucard's deep chuckle echoed in her mind. _'Calm yourself, Police Girl. The solution to your current predicament is laughably easy. It astounds me that you've not already thought of it yourself.'_

"Really?"

' _But of course. You are a vampire, born of my own blood; there is nothing in this world that should stop you from outright taking whatever it is you want. If you wish to make the boy you mate, then might I suggest cornering him in his bedroom and-'_

"I can't do that!" Seras exclaimed loudly, accidentally bumping her head on the lid of her coffin. Wincing at the impact, she reached up to massage her scalp. "I want Ichigo to love me back! That won't happen if I…I…"

' _Force him down and ravage him heedlessly?'_

She elected not to respond to that.

' _Love is such a pathetically human notion,'_ Alucard snorted, distaste clear and evident in his tone. _'However, I have reason to believe entering a physical and emotional relationship will help you come to accept your vampirism at a much faster rate. In my youth, I took many lovers over the centuries. If you refuse to be forceful, then you will simply have to be persistent.'_

"Persistent?" Seras parroted.

' _Indeed. Only cowards and fools give up on things they want badly enough. If your feelings for the Ghost Boy are true, then you must be firm and determined in your approach.'_

That made sense. To a certain degree, of course…

If she wanted to be met with positive results, then she would have to be far more proactive. She couldn't afford to merely sit back and wait for Ichigo to take notice of and approach her on his own. Seras knew she was a physically attractive woman; more than a few male colleagues from her days in the police force how made numerous rude comments about her supple breasts and prominent bum. Such insinuations had made her uncomfortable at the time, but perhaps…

Perhaps she could actually use her natural gifts to catch Ichigo's attention…?

Nothing too scandalous of course. She wasn't some kind of easy, street corner strumpet! Besides, Ichigo was far too gentlemanly to submit to base instincts.

Maybe just a button undone here, or a slightly hiked up skirt there…

Her orange-haired partner was a true gentleman to be sure, but Seras was still all too aware that he was still a young man in the prime of his life. And like all young men, he would have eyes for voluptuous young women, even if he tried to deny it.

Oh, good lord…what would her mother say if she could read her thoughts now?!

' _Such a dirty train of thought you have there, Police Girl,'_ Alucard chuckled deeply within her mind. _'Perhaps you're finally starting to embrace your inner vampire after all.'_

Squealing in mortification, Seras curled herself into a ball and closed her eyes. She seriously needed to think about something other than tall, muscular, chivalrous…

Damn it!

Ah, the mission! She would think about the mission!

She and her Master had been tasked with tracking down and eliminating the Millennium cell operating out of Rio de Janeiro. Sir Integra had requested that they attempt to obtain as much information as they could, but it had still been all too apparent that she still wanted them to kill any of the Millennium agents they came across, regardless of whether or not they spilled any beans.

There was no telling how many people they would encounter, or even if they would encounter anyone at all.

To be completely honest, Seras hoped the latter would end up being the case.

As she continued to think, the Draculina eventually noticed that her thoughts were growing more and more fuzzy. She was getting sleepy. It _was_ still the middle of the day, after all, and as far as she knew, the sun was still high in the sky.

She could afford to take a little catnap. Besides, she would likely need to be as rested as possible to function at her complete best come nightfall.

So, with that in mind, she slowly allowed herself to drift off into the realm of dreams.

* * *

 _(Several Hours Later)_

"I believe a suite should be waiting for me?"

The bellboy shivered noticeably under Alucard's gaze. The elder vampire didn't even try to fight the grin of amusement that wormed its way across his features. Humans were such amusing little things; they generally attempted to act with such cockiness and bravado, yet when they were in the presence of an alpha predator, they crumpled faster than wet cardboard.

"A-Ah, yes…" the young man behind the desk stammered. Clearing his throat, he looked over the monitor in front of him. "The penthouse has been prepared for you, Mister Brennan."

Releasing a satisfied hum, Alucard turned towards the hotel's entrance. Several luggage attendants in gaudy suits were in the process of bringing in the baggage containing his equipment. The number of items was certainly drawing a good number of curious eyes, but nothing attracted more attention that the Police Girl's large, black coffin.

Quickly probing her mind, he was pleased to see that she was still sound asleep. Hopefully, she wasn't one to snore.

Behind the front desk, the bellboy leaned forward in an attempt to get a better look at the luggage. "I-I'm sorry, Sir…but the hotel doesn't allow for such large personal items…"

How annoying…

Snapping his crimson gaze back to the meek little human, Alucard allowed his eyes to _burn_ several shades darker than their usual color. "It's _fine._ None of it will cause an issue."

The brown-haired young man gulped nervously. "I'm sure it won't…but I still have to call my manager…"

Well now.

That simply wouldn't do…

Chest rumbling in a deep, menacing chuckle, Alucard slowly reached up to remove his orange spectacles. The Hellsing Organization seals on the back of both of his gloves glowed intensely, and he raised a single finger to lightly place against the bellboy's forehead.

The young man's breath hitched in his throat, just as his eyes glazed over.

" _Enough."_

Alucard spoke the word ever so softly, but it still resonated like the loudest of drums. "Everything is fine here. There is no need to contact _anyone…"_

The bellboy parroted the words in an entranced stupor. "Everything…is fine…no need… to call anyone…"

The vampire mentally snorted. Humans were so easy to manipulate, especially when they possessed weak constitutions. The boy in front of him would likely amount to nothing more than the job he currently possessed. How pathetic.

Slowly, he brought his hand back to rest in the pocket of his large, black coat. "Excellent, now hurry up with my luggage. I will inform you if I require anything else."

"Yes sir…"

Turning away from the front desk, Alucard calmly walked out of the main lobby and to the nearest elevator. The men carrying his bags struggled with the concealed weight of what was inside, but they wisely elected to not voice any complaints they might have had.

The elevator ride was fairly short. As far as he understood, the penthouse was the only room on the top floor, which would make things far easier for the Police Girl and himself in the long run. The bell in the elevator pinged sharply, signaling their arrival on the top floor. As he exited the elevator, Alucard stopped briefly when a faint sound reached his sensitive ears.

Counting the four men who had accompanied him to the penthouse level, there should have only been the same number of heartbeats detectable in the direct area. However, to his amusement, he distinctly registered five.

A spy…?

Did Millennium truly not think he was capable of hearing something a mere dozen or so feet away? Oh well, he would allow them to think they still had the element of surprise for now.

"Is everything alright, Sir?" one of the luggage attendants asked nervously.

Alucard smirked, nodding once before continuing towards the door at the far end of the corridor. However, he still kept his senses firmly trained on the individual behind the third pillar to his right. "Oh yes, everything is perfect."

The figure in the shadows sucked in a sharp intake of breath. Clearly, he was of the thought that he had nearly been caught. It was certainly amusing how close he truly was to the truth.

" _This is Red Wind to White Sock. The guest has checked into the hotel. I repeat, the guest has checked into the hotel. It appears he is alone."_

Wrong.

She might have been fairly new to being a vampire, but the Police Girl was still very much present. To an ordinary human or a mindless group of Ghouls, she was extremely deadly in her own right.

Opening the door to the penthouse, Alucard found himself pleasantly surprised by the interior. It was no castle, of course, but it would serve the required purpose for the duration of their mission. As he entered the room, quickly followed by the four attendants, the vampire noted that the spy in the corridor quickly rushed towards the unoccupied elevator as soon as he thought their backs were turned, clearly intent on making what he believed to be a successful escape.

"Where would you like this, Sir?" one of the luggage handlers asked, nodding his head towards the coffin all of them still carried gingerly on their shoulders.

Humming in thought, Alucard snapped his gaze in the direction of what he assumed was the master bedroom. "In there will be fine. Be quick about bringing everything else up in a timely manner, if you please."

"Of course, Sir."

The attendants quickly went about doing as they were told, and Alucard turned away to approach the large glass window at the far end of the main room. Nearly the entire expanse of the city was visible, making for quite the vantage point. And somewhere out there, lurking round in the shadows like a disease-ridden rat, was Millennium.

Oh, how glorious it would be to finally finish what he and Walter had started sixty years ago…

* * *

 _(The Vatican; Rome, Italy)_

"It would seem that, for once, we have found ourselves sharing a common interest with Hellsing…"

Maxwell fought to hide his grimace at the thought. To have anything in common with that nest of demons, no matter how trivial it might be, was enough to have bile threatening to rise in his throat. Still, he bit his tongue and remained silent as His Holiness continued speaking.

"It won't be easy to clean up this mess; one that has been over half a century in the making. I am truly sorry that I have constantly been forced to ask you and your fellows to undertake such unpleasant tasks," John Paul sighed regretfully.

Raising his head slightly from his bow, Maxwell respectfully shook his head. "Your Holiness, please think nothing of such things. The Iscariot Organization is a blade to be wielded as you see fit. The being said, however, I believe it would be best if we were to simply allow the heathens to fight it out amongst themselves. If Hellsing and Millennium end up destroying one another at the end of the day, who are we to shed a tear?"

The Pope raised a hand to stroke his chin thoughtfully. After a few moments, he finally nodded his head in agreement. "As always, your input is invaluable. Your suggestion certainly has its merits, and our inaction would have the added benefit of ensuring that no negative light is shined upon us. Go now, my son."

Bowing his head once more in respect, Maxwell raised himself into a standing position and turned to leave the room. As he exited His Holiness' chambers, he was slightly surprised to see a certain someone waiting for him just beyond the doors. "I already know what you are going to say. However, it has been decided."

Anderson snarled.

It was clear that the blond man was chomping at the bits to get another chance to face Integra's monster of a pet, but such a reunion would simply have to wait. Besides, Maxwell had a feeling that they would be seeing Alucard again much sooner than any of them thought.

"Are we to truly sit back and do _nothing?!"_ Anderson seethed, teeth gnashing together. "It is our sacred duty to purge all evil from the Earth. Yet now, you tell me to sit back and let it run amok?"

"If two Evils can kill one another before Good becomes involved, then Good is still the victor at the end of the day," Maxwell replied, breathing out a heavy sigh. "How goes your research? I take it that you haven't found anything of use?"

"That isn't entirely accurate."

"Oh…?"

At Anderson's silence, it quickly became apparent that the taller man was unwilling to share his secrets. Maxwell supposed he could pull rank and force him to tell him what he'd discovered, such an action would only serve to divide them. That being the case, he decided to let it be.

Time to move on to another topic.

One he knew would be certain to garner a reaction out of his subordinate.

"Have you been able to make any progress with Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Anderson's enraged snarl morphed into a far tamer frown. "Nay, I haven't. Our sources on the outside claim that the boy was recently dispatched to a city in Japan to deal with a group of rogue vigilantes. I attempted to follow him, but the Shinigami in the area were ruthless in their attempts to prevent me from getting too close. I barely made it back with both of my arms attached."

Maxwell felt his face shift into a displeased frown. "You know better than to intrude on territory aside from our own! There may be a small Catholic following in Japan, but it is nowhere near large enough to allow us free roam of the country."

"We shouldn't have to worry about damn boundaries! God's Will knows no limitations, and neither should we!"

"Though you are technically correct, we still lack the manpower to combat the likes of the Soul Society. However, if you are truly interested in beginning another crusade all for one mere boy, I suppose I could ask His Holiness to put in a good word with Lord Michael or Lady Gabriel…"

Anderson scowled. "No, that won't be necessary."

"I thought not," Maxwell snorted, walking around his older comrade. "I will not stop you from indulging in this personal mission of yours, but please, for the sake of our Lord in Heaven, do _not_ go accidentally starting a war with one of the other factions. We're already stretched thin as it is, between those disgusting Devils and those treacherous Fallen Angels."

As he walked away, Anderson called out to him one final time.

"How can you stand there and brush this off so casually? Masaki was your friend as well."

Pausing briefly, Maxwell threw the Paladin a glance over his shoulder. "Yes, she was, but now she is dead. And if what I know about Hollows is correct, she wasn't even allowed the chance to enter God's kingdom. However, regrettable as that may be, she still chose to walk away from the faith when she married that imbecile."

Without another word, he turned to walk away.

"Are you really so willing to allow an innocent boy to fall into darkness? Have you no shame?!" Anderson shouted angrily.

Maxwell didn't bother to respond.

* * *

 _(Later That Night; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)_

Letting out a tired yawn, Seras sat up and stretched her arms over her head.

Moonlight shone through the nearest window, immediately letting her know that the sun had set quite some time ago. Looking around, she realized that she and her Master must have arrived at their hotel while she had been sleeping. Carefully, she stood up and stepped out of her coffin, before cautiously wandering out of the bedroom.

Alucard was easy enough to find.

The elder vampire was positioned in a large, comfortable chair that faced the window in the main lounge area, overlooking the entire expanse of the city below. A wineglass was held in his right hand, and he slowly swirled around the liquid held within before bringing it to his lips.

Not wanting to interrupt, Seras plopped down on the couch directly next to his chair.

Setting his glass down on the nearest table, her Master turned to regard her with an amused grin. "Did you sleep well?"

Shifting slightly, she nodded in affirmative. "Y-Yes Sir."

"Hm. Excellent. Then I suppose we should waste no further time." Reaching into his coat, Alucard withdrew a map and placed it on the table. Two circles were drawn on the parchment; one was marked in bright red, and the other in a dull blue. "These are the areas where all of the most recent vampire sightings in the city have occurred. The blue circle represents older, less frequent activity, while the red circle symbolizes events that have happened in the past few weeks."

Seras nodded in understanding. She knew what she was looking at was a typical 'search and sweep' grid pattern. She had conducted a good number of such searches during her time with the police force. "Are we going to investigate these areas?"

"A very astute assumption. Yes, I will be searching throughout the red area, while you will investigate the blue one. If you run into any trouble, simply contact me through our mental link. Do you understand?"

She nodded again.

"Very good," Alucard said, rising to his feet. "Report back here in four hours."

With that, he dissolved into a mass of black shadows and melted into the floor.

Seras let out a sigh, before turning to glance at her weapon, the _Harkonnen,_ which was propped up against the wall near the door. How in the bloody hell was she supposed to drag such a massive thing around without attracting any kind of attention? For what felt like the five thousandth time, she desperately wished Walter had thought to give her a more practical choice of arms.

' _Stop whining, Police Girl,'_ her Master's voice admonished distantly from within her mind. _'Go into the bathroom and fetch the case propped up in the tub. That should make carrying your weapon far easier.'_

Blinking, Seras did as she was told. Flipping on the bathroom light, she was surprised to see what appeared to be a slightly oversized large guitar case resting in the empty bathtub. Approaching it, she was surprised even further by how light the whole thing felt as she picked it up. Then again, most everything was light to her now that she possessed the strength of well over a hundred men.

Lugging the guitar case out of the bathroom and into the main lounge, she quickly went about separating the _Harkonnen's_ barrel from the rest of the weapon. Reattaching the pieces to one another in the middle of combat would be a simple task for someone who possessed her enhanced speed, but disassembling them for the time being would make for much more convenient storage and travel.

After packing her cannon into its new case, she swung the case itself over her shoulders, where it rested against her back. To any normal human on the street, she would simply look like a musician on her way to her next gig.

The elevator ride down to the lobby was surprisingly short, considering the penthouse was on the fiftieth floor. Thankfully, given that is was fairly late out, not many guests were still lounging around in the lobby when she arrived. The only ones she could see were the obvious night owls sitting at the bar.

Shifting the strap covering her chest so it wouldn't squish her breasts, Seras released a heavy breath and walked towards the main entrance. The night air outside was fairly humid, which wasn't all that surprising considering where in the world she was. However, a cool breeze still whistled between the buildings, and she found herself grateful for it. Based on what she'd been able to tell from the map, the area she was supposed to be investigating was the entertainment district, which was thankfully only a few blocks down the street.

She honestly didn't know how she felt about staying in a hotel so close to the alleged Millennium sightings, but then again, it made sense that she and her Master would need to be close enough to act if any trouble popped up.

As she walked down the street, Seras grimaced slightly at the few wolf-whistles and catcalls she received. She'd gotten used to such unwanted attention quite some time ago, but that still didn't mean she appreciated it.

" _Ei linda!_ Come on over and say hello!"

"Nice tits, baby!"

"You need a place to stay?"

Seras shivered. She could easily snap the men's necks like toothpicks, but their lecherous and hungry glares still made her quite uncomfortable. In the very least, she was grateful that they didn't actually try to approach her.

Before long, she finally reached her destination.

The entertainment district was just as sleazy as one might expect. From where she stood, the vampiress could see several casinos, bars, and even what looked like a brothel. Drunken patrons, both male and female, stumbled about deliriously with no apparent path in mind.

Mulling over her options internally, Seras debated where to start looking for clues. When she had been but a little girl, her father had once mentioned that loose lips made for good tips, and loose lips were usually aplenty in bars. As much as she hated the smell of alcohol, which offended her senses even more now that they'd been heightened, she decided the nearest watering hole would be a good place to dig for information.

There were plenty establishments to choose from, so she merely picked the closest one.

Cautiously entering the bar, she was slightly relieved to see that not many people were in attendance. Most of those that were seemed either passed out or in the process of becoming so. The only two individuals in the building who still looked to be completely conscious were the bartender himself, and a slender, dark-haired woman sitting at the bar.

Deciding to try her luck, Seras pulled out a stool at the bar for herself, before removing her guitar case and leaning it up against the counter.

"What'll it be, Miss?" the Brazilian man behind the counter asked in surprisingly fluent English.

"U-Um, just a water, please," she replied. Much to her dismay, she suddenly remembered that she couldn't actually consume anything other than blood without violently vomiting it back up. Still, she would have to try her best. It would look suspicious if she merely sat at the bar without touching her drink.

The bartender gave her a funny look, but still quickly went about fetching the requested beverage. Not even a minute later, a cool glass of water was set on the counter in front of her.

Seras pitifully stared at it as if it were the most toxic substance known to man.

"You alright, blondie?" A melodious voice suddenly asked in slight amusement.

Seras turned towards the other woman sitting at the bar. As she'd observed before, her hair was a shade of midnight black, and was stylized in the back into two elaborate loops. The violet dress she wore clung to her figure perfectly, showing off every sculpted muscle and luscious curve she possessed. It also clashed rather well with her bright, golden eyes.

Seras knew for a fact that she was only interested in men, but she could still admit that the woman in front of her was _unnaturally_ beautiful.

Wait…

That was often the case with female vampires…

Her eyes shifted down towards the woman's drink. It smelled of pure rum, which was something that no vampire, no matter how powerful, could consume alone in its pure form. Even her own Master was incapable of drinking his favorite brand of red wine without mixing some human blood into it.

Perhaps the woman was just an extraordinarily beautiful normal human?

"I-I'm fine," Seras finally replied, lying through her teeth. "I'm just getting over a little illness. It's hard to hold down anything."

The golden-eyed young woman smiled sympathetically, scooting down several seats so she could sit directly next to Seras. "You poor thing. I've only been sick a handful of times, but it's never fun, is it?"

The Dracuilna shook her head, smiling slightly despite the discomfort she was feeling. She had never been the best when it came to making conversation with strangers. The only reason she'd opened up to Ichigo when they first met was because she had been emotionally traumatized, and desperate for any form of human comfort.

Next to her, her companion raised her glass to her lips and took a long, slow swig of rum. "So, what's a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?"

"I'm on vacation," she lied.

"Oh, how fun! Are you alone?"

"Um, no. My…my father is with me."

It felt so weird to think of Alucard in any kind of parental role. However, if one wanted to be technical, his blood did run through her veins. That being said, Seras supposed that meant he could be classified as her father in some weird, supernatural way…

"It's always wonderful to spend time with family," the woman commented slightly, swirling what remained of her drink around in her glass. "If you want a piece of advice, I'd take advantage of that time as much as you can while it lasts."

Seras frowned, noticing the woman's smile morph into a forlorn look. "Do you not have a family?"

"Oh no, I have a sister, but she hates my guts. She blames me for something that I did in the past, even though I only did it to protect her."

"I…I'm sorry…"

The dark-haired woman shrugged. "It's fine. I check in on her every now and then, and she seems happy enough. That's all I could ever ask for."

A veil of silence fell over the two young women for a while, allowing Seras to shift her blue gaze over the rest of the patrons in the bar. By this point, they were pretty much all sleeping their hangovers away, either laying on the floor or on tables. As far as she could tell, none of them possessed any kind of malicious aura, which one could typically associate with a vampire.

Even _she_ had one, though her Master had once told her she also carried an air of innocence that was fairly uncommon among the undead.

Shaking her head slightly, Seras forced her mind back to the task at hand. If she wanted to find any helpful answers, she would likely have to verbally ask for them.

"Do you know if anything unusual has been going on around here recently?" she inquired, turning back to her fellow female.

The golden-eyed woman arched a finely manicured brow. "What do you mean?"

What _did_ she mean…?

What kind of excuse could she come up with that wouldn't arise suspicion?

Hmm…oh!

"My dad and I came here because we heard there have been some vampire sightings in the city in the past few months," she said, forcing herself to display a false sense of excitement. "We're kind of obsessed with paranormal activity."

The other woman laughed. "Ah, monster hunters, huh? You two would get a kick out of my hometown." Turning to look at the bartender, she knocked her knuckles against the wooden bar to get his attention. "Hey, Manuel, you hear anything about any vampires?"

The middle-aged man huffed, pausing in his task of wiping down the back counter against the wall. " _Yez,_ there have been several reports on the local news about bloodsucking monsters roaming the back alleyways of the city and preying on the homeless. Most people call it bullshit, but I'd prefer to be prepared just in case…"

Reaching into the collar of his shirt, he pulled out a silver crucifix necklace for them to see.

Seras flinched, and quickly looked away.

"Okay, okay, we get it," the golden-eyed girl snorted, rolling her eyes. "You're a religious nutcase, congratulations."

Manuel huffed, tucking his crucifix away. "Faith is a powerful thing, Miss Kuroka. You would be foolish to underestimate it." With that said, he turned away to finish cleaning.

Seras breathed out a sigh of relief as the holy symbol was removed from her line of sight. As soon as she'd laid eyes on it, it had felt like she was going to burst into flames. The back of her eyes still burned, but the agonizing sensation slowly receded as the bartender moved away.

A hand suddenly settled on her shoulder, startling the Draculina from her thoughts.

"Hey, are you okay…?"

"I-I'm fine…" she replied shakily, meeting her new companion's concerned gaze. "I guess I'm just not as over my illness as I thought I was. I like your name by the way; are you from Japan?"

Kuroka nodded, smiling. "Originally, yes, but I've lived all over the world."

"Oh? What's that like? I've always wanted to travel."

Interlocking her fingers, Kuroka sighed as she stretched her arms across the bar. "It's been interesting, to say the very least. I've been traveling with a group of friends, including a boy who doesn't seem to realize that I even exist. Do you have any idea how irritating it is to try and get someone's attention, only to have them not even notice you?"

Seras sighed as well, thinking back to a certain orange-haired friend of hers. "You could say that…"

"Oh? Do I detect a story of unrequited love…?"

Blushing at the teasing tone, Seras fidgeted in her seat. "Kind of. I have a…uh… _coworker_ that I'm interested in. I think he might like me back, but I'm not entirely sure…"

"Oh honey," Kuroka purred, leaning forward to wrap an arm around the blonde's shoulders, "you have to do something about that yourself if you want anything to happen. You know the boy I mentioned? Well, I've made it my mission to remind him how I feel every chance I get. He hasn't reciprocated anything yet, but that doesn't mean you'll be met with the same results."

Seras met her eyes hopefully. "You really think so?"

"I _know_ so! I mean, just look at you; you're a total catch!"

The blonde vampire's blush deepened.

Chuckling, Kuroka reached up to ruffle her hair. "Take it from someone who has spent most of her adult life pining after the same guy; there is absolutely _nothing_ wrong with a woman taking the first steps in initiating a relationship."

It couldn't really be that easy, could it? She had thought about being more direct in her approach earlier in the day, but hearing the same advice from two additional outside sources finally helped Seras reach an ultimate decision.

"You know what? You're right!" she exclaimed, rising to her feet. "I just need to tell him how I feel!"

"That's the spirit!"

"I can't let negative thoughts stop me from trying to be happy!"

"Atta girl!"

Turning back to Kuroka, Seras bent down and engulfed the dark-haired girl in a grateful hug. After a moment, she pulled away and reached down to scoop up her guitar case. "Thanks for the advice!"

Barely registering the 'you're welcome' thrown her way, Seras ran out of the bar and back down the street towards the hotel. She _knew_ that the penthouse came with a complimentary telephone; as soon as she got back, she would call Ichigo and tell him how she felt! All she had to do was…was…

Find out what his number was…

Damn.

Her sprint slowly regressed into a jog, which then became a meager walk. How had the fact that she didn't even know Ichigo's phone number manage to slip her mind? Her previous excitement took a massive hit, and soon enough she was merely dragging her feet along the pavement.

Was there any possible way she could find out what his contact information was?

She supposed she could ask Walter, but that would mean she would have to call Hellsing Manor. And she highly doubted Sir Integra would appreciate that, given that she was supposed to be focusing on her mission.

…

…

…

 _The mission!_

She'd completely forgotten about the mission!

Turning her gaze skyward, Seras closed her eyes and let out a loud groan. How could she have been so stupid?! Had she really gotten so caught up in her talk with Kuroka? It _had_ been kind of nice to actually have another young woman to talk to…especially one who could relate to her internal romantic turmoil…

Her Master was going to be royally pissed…

As she neared the hotel, Seras suddenly found herself unnerved by how quiet everything seemed outside. Sure, it was nearly midnight, but there still should have been at least _some_ signs of human life. Rio was a city internationally renowned for its nightlife, so why wasn't there anyone out and about? Additionally, despite the fact she couldn't actually see anyone, Seras felt as if numerous pairs of eyes were watching her from the shadows.

Swallowing nervously, she entered the hotel.

The lobby was just as desolate as the street outside. No one was present at the hotel's bar, and even the bellboy who was supposed to be behind the front desk was no longer there. What the hell was going on…?

Making her way to the elevator, she pressed the button for the penthouse. As the elevator doors closed, a chill ran up her up her spine.

Something was wrong…

 _Very_ wrong…

It had already been apparent that things were out of the ordinary, but Seras still couldn't shake the feeling that something extremely bad was about to happen. When the elevator finally reached the top floor, she raced down the short corridor leading to the room she and her Master were sharing.

It came as no surprise to see that Alucard was already waiting for her.

"Master! Something is terribly wrong!"

The older vampire snorted. There was an irritated gleam in his crimson eyes, but he didn't even focus on Seras herself. He merely stared blankly ahead into empty space. "I hadn't expected them to take so long to make a move," he muttered, clearly to himself.

Seras blinked confusion, concern continuing to build in her chest. "M-Master…?"

Suddenly, without warning, all of the lights in the room went out. Total silence reigned for several long moments, before a faint whirring sound quietly echoed outside. Curiosity overwhelmed her, and Seras sprinted towards the window, intent on seeing on what was going on. However, just as she slid to a stop in front of the glass, an intense light shined through the window, illuminating the entire room.

As her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, Seras was surprised to see that the source of the noise _and_ the light was what appeared to be a news helicopter.

"Wha-What the bloody hell is going on?!"

Alucard suddenly began to laugh. The sound was deep, rich, and oh so ominous.

"Isn't it obvious, Police Girl?" he cackled, eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "This is Millennium's doing! They have convinced the local authorities that you and I are a pair of terrorists."

"What? Why?!" she exclaimed

"Who cares?!" her Master responded. "This is a declaration of _war_ if I've ever seen one, and I'll be damned if we don't provide them with an answer!"

* * *

Human beings were such an easily manipulated bunch.

If you wanted them to do something, all you had to do was offer them fame, money, or power. It didn't matter who their allegiances had been sworn to; even the most noble and loyal of men would readily betray their kin and country all for the sake of personal gain.

Reaching into one of the pockets of his coat, Tubalcain Alhambra withdrew a lighter and sparked up the Cuban cigar held between his teeth. The men across the table from him continued to bustle around frantically like mosquitoes.

"We have confirmation that the girl has entered the building, and is now in the penthouse," one of them said into a radio. "Both targets are heavily armed, and should be approached with extreme caution. Team One, are you in position?"

" _This is Team One. We are a go."_

"Good. Team Two, are you in position?"

" _Team Two here. We are ready to engage the targets."_

"Roger that. Take the elevator up to the penthouse and kill anything that moves. We are not taking any prisoners, gentlemen. Do you understand?"

" _Roger that, Sir. Over and out."_

Releasing a sigh, the police chief of Rio's Special Forces shut off the radio and turned his attention to Alhambra. Nearly every other person in the command tent did the same. "We've done as you instructed, Mister Alhambra. Will there be anything else?"

The aforementioned man shook his head, clapping sarcastically. "No, no…you have all done well, my friends. I cannot think of anything else for you to do at the moment, but I suppose I should congratulate you. You have taken several more steps towards the kingdom of immortality."

The police chief sagged in visible relief, as did the majority of his fellows.

As the tension in the tent dissipated, everyone went back to carrying out their assigned duties.

Alhambra forced himself to not snort in amusement. Did these fools honestly think they would end up being granted immortality? Humans were such naive creatures…

None of these men were of any use to the Major's long-term plans.

He had been instructed to kill them once his assignment was complete, but he had a feeling they would end up dead before dawn no matter what happened. Either way, they would serve their purpose for the time being.

Rising from his chair, Alhambra cracked his neck before throwing his cigar to the ground, where he snuffed it out under his boot. The S.W.A.T team currently in the process of approaching the penthouse was doomed to fail. Even with well over a dozen men, they would each fall victim to Alucard's admittedly impressive might.

But then again, that was what the Major wanted, was it not…?

If the final battle was to be as glorious as Millennium hoped, then Alucard would have to be at his very best when the time came.

Walking out of the tent, Alhambra prepared to play his part.

As the cool night air greeted him, he reached into his left jacket pocket to grip the silver cross he always carried. For any normal vampire, touching silver might have been an agonizing experience, but he was no _ordinary_ vampire…

Exhaling a breath, he closed his eyes and whispered a quick prayer.

"May His Majesty watch over me…"

* * *

He could hear their heartbeats.

He could hear every exhale that passed their lips.

He could hear their feet pounding against the floor as the approached. They were confident that they were going to be able to kill him…

Alucard snorted, grinning like a madman.

How wrong they were…

The doors to the penthouse were suddenly kicked open, allowing well over a dozen armored men in full tactical gear to spill into the room. They each carried Beretta M12s; a common choice of weapon for the Brazilian army. Raising their guns, the S.W.A.T members all let out righteous battle cries as they each simultaneously opened fire.

Each shot that left their weapons made direct contact.

Alucard's body twisted and contorted in unnatural angles as he was filled with bullet holes. Even so, he didn't even attempt to draw his own weapons in self-defense. Blood spattered the shattered window frame behind him, and the hail of bullets didn't stop until most of the weapons present in the room were emptied of ammunition.

When it was all said and done, Alucard's barely recognizable form slumped against the wall in a mangled an eviscerated heap.

The S.W.A.T team remained still for a moment longer, before apparently deeming him dead. As a unit, they turned away to exit back the way they came.

"Dogs…"

Alucard's lips twisted into a cruel smirk, and he mentally commanded all of his blood to flow back across the floor and into his body. His skin knitted back together, as did his ruined bones, tendons, muscles, and clothing. Much to his pleasure, the heart rates of every human in the room quickened in absolute terror.

"That was a very good try," the vampire chuckled, rising back up to his full height. "However, unfortunately for you, I cannot be killed by _dogs…"_

Screaming in terror, the soldiers desperately attempted to scramble past one another and back out into the hall. It was in moments like these that humanity's true colors were always shown. No matter how brave they tried to act, most men were cowards at heart. When faced with certain death, they would cry and piss their pants like children.

However, there were of course the rare gems, who would stand their ground and fight back with all of their might, even as death threatened to claim them.

Abraham Van Helsing had been such a man.

Alexander Anderson was such a man.

And even little Ichigo Kurosaki was such a man.

 _That_ was the only kind of person Alucard would allow himself to be defeated by.

Opening his gaping maw, revealing rows upon rows of dagger-like teeth, the vampire dashed forward with murder in his eyes. " _Only a man can kill me!_ "

In a split second, his jaws clamped around the throat of the soldier who was clearly the commander of the unit. The man gurgled helplessly as blood erupted from his lips, spilling down his chin and spraying though the air in a cascading waterfall. Alucard felt his teeth tear through flesh and snap through bone.

Finally, his jaw snapped shut, severing the soldier's head.

The other men screamed in horror, but they were all quickly met with the same gruesome fate.

He tore through them all.

Some, he ripped apart with his bare hands, grabbing them by their throats and legs and pulling in opposite directions until they became two halves. Others, he simply punched clean through their chests, ripping out their hearts or crushing their spines between his fingers.

The bodies continued to pile up on the floor, but three lucky men made a mad dash for the exit. Two made it through, but they hastily closed the doors behind them before their third comrade could make it out. He desperately attempted to force them back open, but to no avail.

Alucard smiled sadistically as the whimpering man turned around to face him.

"You…you're a monster!"

The vampire released a thoroughly amused chuckled, calmly approaching the quivering fool. "Yes, people keep telling me that. But what does that make you, who would stand against such a creature? Are you a man? A dog? Or…are you a monster too?"

The petrified soldier reached for the pistol clipped to his belt.

Alucard's smile widened.

What was this? Was the lone fool going to make one final last stand, and with nothing but a handgun to do the job?

How wonderful!

Maybe this dog had more of a backbone than the rest of his comrades.

However, much to the vampire's surprise, the soldier pressed the pistol against his own right temple and pulled the trigger without hesitation, splattering brains and skull fragments across the carpet.

How pathetic…

Alucard's smile morphed into a furious snarl. Those who were cowardly enough to take their own lives were even _lower_ than dogs! They…they were worms! Worms not fit to crawl upon the very soil of the Earth! Through his rage-addled mind, he vaguely registered the sound of a door being opened, followed by a pair of hesitantly approaching footsteps.

"M-Master…?

"Prepare for battle, Seras," he snarled.

"But…but Master…" his fledgling stammered as she took in the carnage throughout the room. "These people…they were human! How could you do this?!"

Whirling around, Alucard gripped a handful of the front of the blonde's uniform and hauled her off her feet. Staring into her frightened blue eyes, he allowed his own red irises to _glow_ in barely restrained fury. "I don't care what these things are! They came here with the intention of killing us! It doesn't matter who they were or what they believed in; now they'll be corpses for the maggots to feast on! They'll rot away like pathetic hunks of flesh! This is simply the way things are, and there is no one who can change that…not God, not the Devil, and certainly not _you!"_

Seras trembled in his grasp, tears welling up in her eyes. "I-I know…but…but they're only…"

For some unknown reason, Alucard felt the fire burning inside of him dim ever so slightly at the sight of those watery eyes. Letting his fledgling go, he turned away from her to look out the window.

"This is just the way things are…" he repeated softly.

"Yes Sir…"

"Come along then, Seras. No time to be a coward."

Though he couldn't see her, Alucard felt the young woman's demeanor brighten considerably.

"Right! Of course, Master!"

A strange feeling of pride suddenly swelled in his chest, but he forced it back down in favor of tuning the entirety of his attention towards the telephone resting on the nearby coffee table. Stepping over several bodies, the vampire entered an intimately familiar number before bringing the receiver to his ear.

The phone rang several times, before finally the person on the other end answered the call.

" _Who is this?"_ Integra hesitantly asked.

"Merely your humble servant," Alucard replied, a smile pulling at his lips once more. "I take it that you've been monitoring the news?"

" _I have. What did you do to that S.W.A.T team…?"_

"I killed them all, of course. There isn't a single one left standing. I have a suspicion that the local police force is under the control of Millennium, hence why they were fed the false story of Seras and I being terrorists. What do you want to do with that information? Are you willing to let me slaughter any human who dares to get in my way? Or, am I to flee like a coward with my tail tucked between my legs? What are your orders, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing?"

Using his sensitive hearing, Alucard was able to tell that Integra was in the process of sparking up a cigar. She remained silent for several long moments, and he was nearly fit to burst from excitement when she finally offered him an answer.

" _Don't you dare question me, Alucard! I have already given you your marching orders; search and destroy! Do not let anything stop you from completing your objective!"_

His smirk widened to manic proportions, and Alucard released a delighted laugh. "Simply wonderful! This is most excellent news indeed! Well then, by your orders, my Master, I hope you enjoy the show…"

Brining the phone away from his ear, he pressed the button to end the call.

"Master…?" Seras asked questioningly.

Letting the phone fall from his hands and to the ground, Alucard reached into his overcoat. Withdrawing both the _Jackal_ and the _Casull,_ the elder vampire turned towards the penthouse doors as an ominous chuckle spilled from between his teeth.

"Sit tight for the moment, Seras. I'm going to go have some fun…"

* * *

 _(Karakura Town, Japan)_

Today was already promising to be a good one.

The sun was ascending to its highest point, and the birds outside were chirping musically.

Walking into the kitchen while humming a happy tune, Isshin Kurosaki prepared to make himself a piping hot cup of coffee. Karin and Yuzu were away for the day at a schoolmate's house, which finally gave him the perfect opportunity to sit down and watch his entire collection of the _Alien_ franchise! He supposed it was a bit ironic that he still so enthusiastically enjoyed science fiction films, since his life was literally something that could've been taken out of a fantasy…

Oh well!

Moving away from the coffee maker and over to the refrigerator to get the creamer, Isshin paused momentarily when the hairs along the back of his neck stood on end. However, he quickly sighed and moved back over to the cabinet to pull out an extra coffee mug.

"You know…" he called aloud as he finished preparing the second cup, "most people would consider it rude to barge into someone else's home without prior permission."

Turning around to walk into the living room, Isshin scowled ever so slightly upon seeing that his uninvited guest was sitting in his favorite chair. Knowing that it would only be more trouble than it was worth to try to get the other man to move, he decided to simply take a seat on the couch for the time being. "What are you doing here, Azazel?" the former Captain asked, handing the scruffy Fallen Angel the second coffee cup.

Accepting the steaming beverage, the Governor General of the Fallen brought the mug to his lips and took a long, slow sip. Sighing in satisfaction, he fixed Isshin with a mischievous grin. "What? Am I not allowed to stop by and say hello to an old friend?"

Bullshit.

Isshin wasn't one to turn away a visit from a longtime friend, but he was more than well aware that Azazel never did anything or went anywhere without an actual reason. He may have tried his best to give off a genuinely insane facade, but in actuality the man was easily one of the most intelligent beings in the Biblical Trio, if not the entirety of the supernatural world. He was even right up there with Kisuke Urahara and Sosuke Aizen.

Sighing, Isshin leaned back against the couch. "Let's cut the horse shit and get straight down to business. You're forbidden to venture into Shinto territory without proper permission, which means you're taking a very big risk just by being here. So, I'll ask again…what do you want?"

Azazel's expression morphed from goofy to serious in a split second. "I simply thought you'd like to know that a good number of factions are doing their best to approach your son."

Oh…

Well, that _was_ a pretty interesting piece of news.

"Why…?" Isshin asked cautiously

The Fallen Angel snorted, taking another sip of coffee. "You and I both know it's only a matter of time before Ichigo gets his powers back. When that time does come, he will prove to be an invaluable asset for whoever he decides to affiliate himself with."

"Hmm. I was under the impression that the Soul Society already had a pretty big claim to him…"

"Well, they _did,_ but that claim was dissolved as soon as Ichigo lost his Soul Reaper powers during his fight with Sosuke Aizen. I'm not sure if you're aware, but the power he displayed when using that black energy technique…"

"The Final Getsuga Tenshou," Isshin supplied helpfully.

Azazel rolled his eyes. "Right. Anyway, the amount of power he possessed while in that from was equal to that of a Satan Class Devil. That isn't something a good number of people in high places are just going to be willing to ignore."

"Who all is trying to make a move on him?"

"As far as I know, Soul Society is doing their absolute best to re-obtain their rights to him; they even have Lady Amaterasu backing them up this time. However, even with that being the case, I heard that Michael is challenging them on the grounds that Masaki's Catholic faith gives the Angels just as much of a claim to Ichigo as the Shinto Faction has."

That didn't really come as any grand surprise; the forces of Heaven were already spread fairly thin. It would make sense that Michael and Gabriel would want to get their hands on as many powerful allies as they could. And Ichigo certainly had power in spades.

"Anyone else?" Isshin asked hesitantly.

Azazel nodded. "Sirzechs has been fairly adamant that his familial relationship with your son gives him more of a right to him than anyone else, but Lady Amaterasu was quick to remind him that she is Ichigo's biological great-great-great-great-great-grandmother."

Isshin desperately did his best to fight back the headache that was threatening to ruin his previously good mood. He had never been one for politics, even when he had still been a Soul Reaper Captain. He had always anticipated that the day would eventually come when Ichigo would be introduced to the larger supernatural world outside of the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo. If only that introduction could occur without all of this political bullshit…

Why couldn't his son just be allowed to choose whoever he wanted to ally himself with?

Was that really too much to ask?

Azazel coughed suddenly, gaining his attention. "I also heard a rumor that Zeus of all people wants your boy to become a soldier for Olympus…"

"Wha- _Why?!_ What claim to Ichigo does that bastard even _have?!"_

"Have you ever known anything like a lack of a claim to stop Thunder Thighs when he really wants something badly enough…?"

Isshin groaned, allowing his face to fall into his hands.

And the morning had started off so well, too…

* * *

 _(Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)_

The front doors to the hotel flew off their hinges.

The crowd gathered outside the building screamed in horror as they watched six soldiers fly helplessly through the air. The flailing men let out terrified cries of their own, but they were all quickly silenced as each of them was impaled on one of the flag poles lining the staircase leading to the hotel's entrance.

Ignoring the screams, Alucard slowly walked out into the moonlight.

He _relished_ in this kind of violence. It was pure. It was carnal. It was _exhilarating_!

It had been far too long since he had last been able to properly show the world how powerful he really was. In fact, by his own estimate, the last time he had been able to cause such a catastrophe was during the whole debacle with Abrahamn Van Helsing nearly one hundred years ago…

Eyes scanning the terrified crowd, Alucard's crimson orbs widened minutely as he watched a singular man in a brown suit work his way to the front of the throng of people. Even across the distance between them, he could tell that the man smelled like a vampire, but…

But there was something else there, too…

"Oh? What are you…?" Alucard whispered to himself under his breath, lips pulling up in a deranged mockery of a smile.

The man began clapping sarcastically, looking up at the corpses of the impaled S.W.A.T team members. "An excellent performance to be sure, but didn't anyone ever teach you it is impolite to play with your food?"

"And just who might you be?"

"My associates call me Tubalcain Alhambra," the man replied, sweeping an arm across his chest in an extravagant bow. "However, if you want any more information, I am afraid you will have to _earn_ it…"

"An interesting proposition," Alucard chuckled deeply, before turning his gaze up to the soldiers he had slaughtered. "I take it that these pathetic little dogs belonged to you?"

"Ah…" Alhambra chuckled in return, "if you are referring to those poor, unfortunate men up there, then yes. The local authorities were so very willing to sacrifice them, and all for the sake of an empty promise of immortality."

"Taking advantage of naive humans, are you?" Alucard snorted, walking down the flight of steps leading to the main street. "If you are indeed what I think you are, then we're both more than well aware that there is no such thing as _true_ immortality."

"Now, now, my dear friend…there is no need to quash the dreams of these men. If they continue to believe in the promise of everlasting life, then they will serve their purpose to the best of their abilities. Besides, where is the harm in allowing such fools to cling to their faith, eh?"

"You're starting to bore me…let's skip these meaningless pretenses and cut to the chase. What are you here for?"

Alhambra laughed richly, reaching into one of the sleeves of his jacket. A flurry of playing cards erupted from his sleeve, swirling through the air in a circle around his body. "What am I here for? The answer to that question is quite simple, _vampiro._ I have been sent by Millennium to take your _un-life…"_

How interesting…

This fool thought he could kill him?

Alucard continued to smile, even as Alhambra flicked his fingers and sent a hail of _clearly_ magic-infused playing cards flying in his direction. He wasn't worried. After all, as he'd so clearly explained to the soldiers back in the penthouse, only a _human_ was worthy of killing him.

Not bothering to dodge the incoming projectiles, the crimson-eyed vampire allowed them to pierce and tear his flesh asunder. The wounds all healed quickly though, prompting him let out a deep chuckle. As the dust kicked up from Alhambra's attack cleared, Alucard stepped through the debris and offered the artificial vampire an amused smirk. "I guess there really _is_ no reasoning with you people. Didn't your masters tell you what happened the first time I decimated their troops?"

With that thinly-veiled threat voiced, Alucard leaped down the staircase and into the open air, aiming both the _Jackal_ and the _Casull_ at his newest target. Alhambra was quick to respond, throwing another batch of playing cards out to collide with the weapons' holy bullets in mid-air.

Unfortunately, Alucard was well aware that he didn't have many rounds left in either of his guns. However, nothing of the sort was going to stop him from tearing the man in front of him apart, even if he was forced to do it with his bare hands. Dodging yet another magic card thrown in his direction, he landed directly in front of the crowd of humans, which appeared to be a mix between soldiers and civilians.

Alhambra didn't seem to care, and he quickly threw more of the deadly projectiles. Alucard easily dodged them, but the cards continued to sail through the empty space he had previously occupied, which in turn carried them directly into the crowd of humans. Given that the cards were magical in nature, they had no problem decapitating and dismembering any of the innocent bystanders who were unfortunate enough to be caught in their path.

A new batch of screams pierced the night air, but the two combatants easily ignored it in favor of trying to fill each other with bloody holes.

The crowd scattered, allowing Alucard and Alhambra much more room to move about in. Running parallel to one another, they continued to trade projectiles. Several of the Millennium agent's cards managed to pierce Alucard's flesh, but the true vampire couldn't seem to get even a single direct shot in.

Finally, however, one well-placed bullet from the _Jackal_ managed to slam into the side of Alhambra's throat.

Alucard's lips spit into a satisfied smile. However, that smile was quick to disappear once he noticed that the bullet hadn't actually pierced the other man's skin. That was undeniably strange, since the _Jackal_ had been created with ammunition capable of taking down the likes of Alexander Anderson. Anderson was a regenerator, and as far as Alucard knew, no artificial vampires were capable of healing themselves like their pureblood kin could.

Alhambra reached up briefly to rub his throat, and it was in that moment that Alucard finally noticed the green, vein-like pattern spread across the Millennium agent's skin where the bullet had impacted.

"I see…this is certainly and _unexpected_ turn of events," the Hellsing vampire chuckled, crimson eyes alight with amusement. "So, you're a Quincy, are you?"

Alhambra sighed, falling into a more relaxed stance. Still, it was easily apparent that he was ready to leap back into battle at a moment's notice. "Ah…I see that my secret is no longer a secret. However, you are correct! My _Blut Vene_ protects me form a good deal of damage, including that which would otherwise be inflicted by your holy weapons."

"Interesting…but a creature such as yourself should not be able to exist, don't you agree? The Quincy are a people of light, dedicated to exterminating the creatures called Hollows, which themselves are beings of darkness and maliciousness. You are clearly an artificial vampire as well, which is also a being of darkness. The dark and light inside of you should be tearing your body apart."

"Normally, you would be correct," Alhambra admitted, allowing another flurry of cards to emerge from his sleeves. "However, let's just say that Millennium has access to resources capable of allowing my vampiric and Quincy halves to coexist peacefully. Now then, I believe I promised you more information if you properly earned it, correct?"

Alucard's lips pulled into an insane smile, exposing his rows upon rows of teeth.

Smiling savagely in return, Alhambra's cards suddenly began to glow bright blue. They swirled around his form, before coalescing in his right hand to quickly fuse together into the unmistakable shape of a bow and arrow. "Allow me to introduce myself once again. As I said, my name is Tubalcain Alhambra…but my designation among the ranks of Millennium is 'Sternritter D: The Dandy Man.' Please, tell me what you think of my _Heilig Pfeil_."

Pulling back on an invisible drawstring, the newly-revealed Quincy fired a barrage of glowing spirit arrows with only a single shot.

Alucard ducked and weaved under and around the incoming projectiles as best he could, but several still managed to scrape along his arms, legs, and face. And where they touched him, they _burned._ They burned more painfully than any silver or holy water he had ever encountered. The wounds the arrows inflicted still healed over, albeit at a much slower rate than usual. If one managed to pierce his heart of his skull, this fight would be over rather quickly…

Deciding it best to change the battleground, Alucard turned his gaze to the nearest building. In a show of supernatural strength, the vampire leaped from the street all the way to the building's rooftop.

Throwing a gaze over his shoulder, he quickly saw Alhambra preparing to follow him.

"Catch me if you can…Dandy Man…."

* * *

What a mess.

When she'd decided to pay a quick visit to Brazil, Kuroka had never imagined she would end up getting caught in such a spectacle. People continued to run around her in a blind panic, screaming as if the Devil himself was hot on their heels.

That wasn't necessarily an inaccurate assessment, to be fair…

She had seen Alucard in action once before, and the aftermath of his brand of 'fun' was one of the most nightmarish things she had ever witnessed. Back in the bar, she had been able to smell the vampire's scent on the blonde girl she'd spoken to. Perhaps she was his fledgling?

Releasing a sigh, the Nekomata slipped past a few more armed guards. Golden eyes focusing on what was undoubtedly the police force's command tent, she pulled back the entrance flap and entered the structure. Several men in uniforms darted back and forth, completely oblivious to her presence.

"This is a nightmare!" one of them shouted. "Those two freaks are absolute monsters!"

"Shut the fuck up!" another one shouted, cuffing his comrade on the back of the head. "I don't care what they are. Alhambra said we would get immortality if we helped him take out the man in the red, and that's exactly what we're gonna do! I'm not about to let your pansy ass make me miss out on an opportunity to live forever!"

Chuckling at the argument, Kuroka finally made her presence in the tent known. The officers all turned to look at her in surprise. Several of them reached for their weapons, but they quickly relaxed when they realized she appeared to be a defenseless young woman.

How wrong they were…

One of the men stepped towards her. "I'm sorry, Miss, but this is a restricted area for authorized personnel only. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Oh?" Kuroka replied, lips pulling down into a faux frown. "That's too bad. I really wanted to ask you a question, officer…"

The man's gaze briefly travelled down to her exposed cleavage. In that moment, she knew she had him in the palm of her hand. Males were _so_ easy to sway, provided you gave them the right incentive.

The officer sighed, resting his hands on his hips. "Alright, what is it?"

Kuroka's frown became a fierce smile.

"How does it feel to be so stupid?"

"P-pardon me?!" the uniformed man stuttered in shock.

"You do realize that it was all a lie, right?" she purred, allowing her two tails to slip out from underneath the back of her dress. The feline appendages lazily waved through the air, immediately attracting the attention of everyone in the tent. "There is no such thing as real immortality. Sure, you might be able to live for centuries, but everything eventually fades away in the end..."

The officer's eyes went wide, and he took several steps back as he reached for his pistol. "What the hell are you?"

"Me?" Kuroka smiled innocently, holding up a hand and conjuring a ball of swirling Demonic Energy. "I'm just a stray kitten."

Nearly every weapon in the room was drawn and pointed at her, but by the time all of the officers squeezed the triggers, it was far too late. Flicking her left index finger forward, Kuroka commanded the ball of energy to sail through the air and impact the man she'd spoken to directly in the chest.

The tent went up in flames, exploding in a blazing inferno.

However, Kuroka still managed to emerge from the wreckage without so much as a single scratch. Wiping a bit of dust from her shoulder, the Stray Devil turned her gaze towards the hotel where she knew her new blonde-haired friend was staying.

"Well, I've done what I can to help," she grinned. "Now go back home and get your man."

* * *

It had been quite some time since he'd last fought a Quincy.

Grinning wickedly, Alucard's eyes trailed down to the blood that continued to leak from his still-healing wounds. He'd honestly almost forgotten what it felt like to not instantaneously regenerate. The sensation of pain he was currently experiencing was a strange one, but he welcomed it wholeheartedly.

The agony only served to elevate his excitement to new heights!

At the sound of approaching footsteps, Alucard chuckled deeply and looked over his shoulder. "What a fascinating creature you are, Tubalcain Alhambra. You should not exist, yet here you stand before me. I look forward to seeing what makes you tick…"

"It eludes me how you can continue to find humor in this situation, despite your current predicament," Alhambra growled in clear irritation. "What the hell is so goddamn funny?!"

His chuckles evolving into full blown laughter, Alucard slowly rose back up to his full height. "I'm simply pleased, that's all. The world would be so _boring_ without idiots like you in it to amuse me. Your revived battalion of Millennium outcasts had provided me with more fun in the past few weeks than I've had in _years_! I'm so happy that the world continues to breed such madness!"

The moon above suddenly turned an ominous shade of red, and an enormous swarm of bats flew up the side of the building from the street below. Still, Alucard did not take his eyes off of his opponent. Spreading his arms wide, the crimson-eyed vampire threw his head skyward and cackled like a maniac. "Now then, it's time to _play,_ Alhambra! I want to hear you squeal like a pig!"

The Millennium agent's expression morphed into one of incredulity. "You expect me to _squeal…?_ Can't you see what's happening here? Or have you already been irrevocably claimed by madness?!" With a shout, Alhambra fired yet another another barrage of spirit arrows, which screamed across the rooftop towards their intended target.

Each of the projectiles hit their mark, but they were quickly absorbed by the writhing, chaotic black and red mass of dark power that was beginning to take shape in Alucard's torso. The Hellsing vampire raised his hands over his left eye, and began reciting the incantation that would allow him further access to the reservoir of power he kept locked inside…

"Releasing control art restriction systems, levels three…two… _one._ Approval of Situation A recognized; commencing use of the Cromwell Invocation. Ability restrictions lifted for limited use until the enemy has been rendered silent…"

A multitude of crimson eyes suddenly appeared all over Alucard's body, and the shadows on the rooftop abandoned their natural positions in favor of rapidly pouring into the vampire's form.

Alhambra flinched noticeably, but he still fired another round of arrows despite his obviously growing uneasiness. The projectiles hit the concrete directly in front of Alucard, kicking up a massive dust cloud that concealed the pureblood vampire from the Millennium agent's view.

Alucard could _feel_ the Quincy's heart rate picking up.

He was getting _scared…_

A delighted grin spread across Alucard's face, which only served to widen when he watched Seras suddenly vault herself over the side of the building and onto the rooftop. The _Harkonnen_ was already held up to her eye, and she only had to line up her sights for a moment before firing a depleted uranium shell.

Alhambra whirled towards her, firing a single spirit arrow.

The two projectiles collided in midair, generating a massive explosion that kicked up even more dust and debris. Due to the fact that artificial vampires possessed significantly less impressive sensory abilities than their naturally-created kin, Alucard took the opportunity to close the distance between himself and his as-of-yet unsuspecting target. He wasn't quite sure whether or not the man's Quincy abilities made up for his poor vampiric traits, but where was the fun in just waiting around to find out?

Much to his pleasure, it appeared that Alhambra's mixed blood did in fact dull quite a bit of his Quincy powers. The fool didn't even see him coming…

Raising his right leg, Alucard _smashed_ his boot into Alhambra's left kneecap with as much strength as he could muster. The Millennium agent's Blut Vene fluctuated momentarily, before eventually giving way under the pure force behind the impact. Letting out an agonized scream, the Quincy was helpless to prevent the bone and cartilage in his knee from instantly disintegrating.

Cackling madly, Alucard raised his left arm above his head. The limb pulsed with dark power, and quickly increased in musculature to accommodate the influx of energy. "Let me hear you squeal!" the psychotic vampire laughed, before launching his arm forward to pierce Alhambra's heart.

Releasing a defiant cry, the Millennium agent forced a single enhanced playing card into his right hand. With a tremendous amount of force, be brought it forward to meet Alucard's incoming strike.

The tips of the pureblood vampire's fingers collided with the Quincy's card, generating a massive burst of pressurized air. They appeared locked in a stalemate for a moment, struggling against the pure, monstrous strength the other was exerting. Eventually, Alucard finally proved victorious. His fingers continued forward, splitting the playing card in half straight down the middle. He didn't stop there, however, and instead continued to move his hand forward even more so, which in turn split Alhambra's entire arm in half as well.

Blood sprayed through the air, and the artificial vampire-Quincy hybrid cried out in absolute agony. The power behind Alucard's strike forced him to stumble backwards, but before he could get too far, he was grabbed by the face by the Hellsing vampire.

Bringing his defeated opponent forward, Alucard reached up with his remaining hand to lock his grip around the trembling man's throat. "I believe that is checkmate, Tubalcain Alhambra…"

The Millennium agent let out a pitiful sub.

Grinning widely, Alucard turned his crimson gaze towards the man's exposed neck. "Now then, I think it is high time we get back to the matter at hand," he chuckled fiercely. "I'm obliged to give you a _thorough_ interrogation, so you're going to tell me _everything_ you know. Or, in the very least, your blood will…"

Opening his gaping maw, the vampire lunged forward and sank his fangs into Alhambra's throat.

As the Quincy's essence was absorbed into him, Alucard witnessed the man's innermost thoughts and secrets dance before his eyes. Unsurprisingly, images of war and destruction were the most common theme the memories carried. However, much to his growing interest, there appeared to be another thing occupying the dying Millennium agent's mind.

Apparently, though the Major was the one who ruled over the Millennium Organization itself, there was another figure operating behind the scenes, who controlled nearly everything that the Nazi group did…

As Alhambra erupted into azure flames and was blown away by the wind, Alucard turned his gaze to the moon and smiled maniacally. The information he had just learned was certainly interesting, even if it was apparent that Alhambra hadn't been fed the entire truth.

The mystery figure in the dead Quincy's memories didn't have a proper name, but he did have a _title…_

"I look forward to meeting you…Your Majesty…"

* * *

 **I lied!**

 **Several chapters ago, I said I wasn't going to reveal the full nature of the relationship between the Quincies and Millennium until the Battle of London was underway. However, as it seems, things simply played out in a different way than I anticipated. I always intended for Alhambra to be a Sternritter, so it only made sense to explore the Quincy/Millennium relationship** _ **slightly**_ **in this chapter.**

 **It's already obvious that they're working together, but I haven't yet revealed** _ **why**_ **they are doing so, or what the actual nature of their relationship really is. That revelation** _ **will**_ **come during the Battle of London, I assure you.**

 **Now then, on to different topics!**

 **Firstly, I'd like to wish** _ **"Bloodstained Souls"**_ **a very happy belated birthday! I can hardly believe that this story is now over a year old; it really does seem like I just started it not too long ago. Hopefully, I can get out more than fourteen chapters before next year rolls around.**

 **On another note, it has come to my attention that a fairly religious person left a rather…** _ **heated…**_ **comment in the review section. Look, let me go ahead and make something perfectly clear. If I write anything in this story that comes across as offensive to anyone's faith, then I am truly sorry. I have simply done my best to write things I think the characters would say and feel.**

 **So, if you want to be mad at anyone, don't be mad at me. Be mad at the characters themselves. (I'm just kidding. Please don't be mad at** _ **anyone).**_

 **Also, several of you have still been very insistent that I just go ahead and give Ichigo his powers back. No, I am not going to do that. His time will come, I promise you, but I have to actually build the story up to that point before it can happen. Most of you have been very patient and understanding thus far, and I appreciate that.**

 **With those pseudo-announcements out of the way, I would like to clear up and elaborate on a few things that happened in this specific chapter:**

 **Kuroka took Pip's place in the Rio mission. Since Pip didn't really do much anyway, I thought it would be fine to just have an outside minor character appear and do Seras a favor by blowing up the police tent. They bonded at the bar, and Kuroka decided to help her fellow gal out. And yes, this** _ **is**_ **the Kuroka from** _ **High School DxD.**_

 **Isshin was visited by Azazel, who informs him that multiple supernatural groups are interested in Ichigo joining their side. Remember when Amaterasu approached Ichigo in his dreams during the events of the previous Arc? Well, she was attempting to gain a head start on everyone else in convincing him to rejoin the Shinto Faction.**

 **Tubalcain Alhambra is revealed to be a Quincy/Vampire hybrid. However, he has no idea what the true name of 'His Majesty' really is. As you** _ **Hellsing**_ **fans know, the Major was well aware that Alucard would end up draining Alhambra's blood and reading his mind. He** _ **wanted**_ **it to happen. However, due to that fact, the Major in** _ **this**_ **story was smart enough to avoid telling Alhambra 'His Majesty's' true name. That way, Millennium still has plenty of secrets that the Hellsing Organization and Iscariot are thus far unaware of.**

 **Some of you are probably wondering why Luke and Jan Valentine didn't possess Quincy powers as all. That will be discussed in a future chapter.**

 **In these most recent chapters, I have been doing my best to actually portray the scene that is playing out from a singular character's viewpoint, as opposed to that of some omniscient spectator. I hope that comes across within the chapters themselves.**

 **On a side note…I would like to play a little game.**

 **It has become apparent to me that some people don't even bother to read my Author's Notes, since they ask questions that I have quite literally already answered within them. So, which that being the case, I will pose a challenge to you all:**

 **If you actually read the Author's Notes, please tell me who Ichigo's girlfriend is in this story.**

 **I'm not doing this to call anyone out; I am merely curious to see who reads my notes.**

 **With that out of the way, I would like to thank you all for tuning into the chapter! As always, please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think. If you have a question that you would like cleared up, please send me a PM.**

 **Oh, and enjoy this story's very first omake!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _Omake_

* * *

 _(Karakura Town, Japan; 18 years ago)_

Isshin Kurosaki was happy.

No, he was overjoyed.

No, he was _ecstatic!_

He was now the proud father of a handsome little boy. Masaki was currently nursing little Ichigo in the living room, while he was in the process of making some hot tea in the kitchen. He had no idea how strenuous the process of birthing a child was on a woman's body, but his wife certainly seemed like she needed a pick-me-up.

Although, he supposed that _could_ just be because she'd been up all night the previous evening trying to get Ichigo to stop crying…

He would've gladly helped her, but unfortunately, he possessed the ability to sleep like the dead. Not even thunderstorms or explosions could rouse him from slumber when he was out for the count. And now, apparently, neither could the sound of a crying baby.

Still, though, he was relieved that Masaki didn't hold it against him.

Pouring some of the tea into a small, ceramic cup, Isshin left the kitchen and returned to the living room. His lovely wife graced him with a beatific smile, even though it was so evidently apparent that she was reaching critical levels of exhaustion.

"He certainly is a lively boy," Masaki said, accepting the teacup he offered her.

Isshin grinned. "He's a handsome one, too! Maybe if he's lucky, he'll grow up to be just as good looking as his old man!"

Masaki rolled her eyes playfully. "If that's the case, we might have to give him a baseball bat to beat off all of his admirers…"

The couple shared a laugh, but their amusement was suddenly interrupted by an unexpected knock at the door. Raising an eyebrow, Isshin offered Masaki a curious look. When she merely shrugged in response, he stood up to see who the hell was stupid enough to be at the door so early in the morning.

The answer he received brought a smile to the former Captain's face.

"Sirzechs! Grayfia, darling! What are you doing here?"

In lieu of offering a response, Grayfia Lucifuge merely gifted him with a brief, respectful nod, before forcing her way past him and making a beeline for Masaki and Ichigo. Isshin watched her go with a perplexed expression.

A hand clapped against his shoulder, bringing his attention back to Sirzechs.

The red-haired Devil smiled apologetically. "Sorry about her…Gryafia just has a thing for babies. She's been _really_ insistent that she and I start trying for one."

Isshin raised a brow. "You haven't been trying already…?"

"No, we have, but not very rigorously until fairly recently," Sirzechs replied. Then, in a display of immaturity unbefitting one of the Four Great Satans, the green-eyed man wiggled his eyebrows quite suggestively. "And let me tell you something, Isshin…my wife is an utter _beast_ when she wants something badly enough."

Belting out a laugh, the former Soul Reaper captain stepped aside to allow his longtime friend inside the house. It was weird to see Sirzechs in anything other than his regular ceremonial robes; he was currently wearing a pair of blue jeans, a plain white shirt, and a brown leather jacket. Maybe he was trying to get Grayfia pregnant faster by fully embracing the world-famous 'dad attire?'

Grayfia herself was also dressed in a pair of jeans, though she wore a bright violet blouse instead of a regular shirt.

Seeing as how the women were already deep in the middle of a conversation about baby clothes and future possibilities of babysitting, Isshin subtly nodded his head towards the kitchen. Sirzechs nodded back in understanding. Moving out of the living room, the two men gave their wives some privacy.

"Coffee?" the former Captain offered.

"Sure," the Lord Lucifer replied, allowing his deep green eyes to rove throughout the house. "I see that your clinic is doing well. I'm happy for you."

Isshin hummed appreciatively, handing his guest a cup of steaming liquid. "Thank you. How are your parents?"

Sirzech's eyes brightened immediately. "Mother is pregnant!"

That was wonderful news!

Isshin couldn't stop himself from smiling, even if he wanted to in the first place. Devils had a notoriously low fertility rate; some women in the Underworld could literally go their entire lives without successfully birthing a child. More often than not, the only way to have a child as a Devil would be to reincarnate a human infant into a Devil as well. but that practice was notoriously frowned upon.

One naturally born baby was great. Two was a miracle.

"Hey, that's great to hear!" the dark-haired man laughed, leaning forward to give his friend a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. "Do they know the gender yet?"

Sirzechs nodded happily. "Yep! You're looking at the proud older brother of a future baby sister! In fact, she's scheduled to be born sometime within the next year. Maybe she and Ichigo will wind up being childhood sweethearts."

Isshin chuckled, shaking his head and taking a sip from his coffee cup. "Heh, yeah…I'll start scheduling playdates."

The two men shared another laugh, discussing the future as they listened to their wives coo and fawn over Ichigo in the next room.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: The Devil Comes Knocking

* * *

 **Hey guys.**

 **First of all, let me go ahead and say that I am SO sorry for how long I've recently been away from my stories. Unfortunately, I was hit with a major case of writer's block, and then once it finally cleared up, I had to move halfway across the country. That being the case, I really just haven't had any proper time to sit down and write.**

 **Secondly, I would like to clear something up so there is no possible lingering confusion. As I revealed last chapter, Alucard is aware that there is someone called 'His Majesty' working with Millennium, but he has no idea what that individual's actual name is. We all know, but he doesn't.**

 **Make sense? If not, just DM me and I'll do my best to clarify.**

 **Also, it appears that I made an error when describing some pre-existing power levels. Up until now, I have been classifying Sirzechs in the Satan Class Level, when he is actually in the Super Class, which is several times more powerful. Thank you to the Guest who pointed this out to me. It has been a while since I last read** _ **DxD,**_ **so I hope you can all forgive my mistake.**

 **The power levels of the individuals in this story who are more powerful that Sirzechs will simply be increased even further due to this change. That being said, for the purposes of this story alone, all beings classified as Gods or anything more powerful will inherently be stronger than Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. I know some people are still a bit irritated that I decided to do this, but hey, it's a fanfiction. I highly doubt the power scaling will drag the story down as far as the genuine plot is concerned. But honestly, it just never made sense to me that Gods were ranked with other much lower beings in the** _ **DxD**_ **series. Sure, Sirzechs, Michael, and Azazel are unbelievably powerful, and that's fine, but I never really liked that they stood on equal footing with genuine Gods. As I mentioned a bit earlier, for the purposes of this story, they will simply be on the tier of power directly** _ **under**_ **Gods. This still makes them bullshit levels of strong.**

 **I hope all of you have been well, and I will be doing my best to catch up with the rest of my stories. Hopefully, this extra long chapter will somewhat make up for how long I've been away.**

 **Additionally, I would to officially dedicate this chapter to the memory of Michael Lindsay, who was the English VA for Kisuke Urahara. Rest in peace, Hat-n-Clogs. See you in the Soul Society.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _(Hellsing Manor; London, England)_

" _How could you be so CRUEL, Ichigo?!"_

Curling his lip at the unnecessary loudness, the aforementioned orange-head leaned forward and quickly turned down the volume on his computer. His father's irritated glare continued to stare out at him from the screen, and he made sure to return it in full. "The hell are you talking about, old man? I haven't done anything wrong!"

" _Haven't don- YOU HAVEN'T CALLED HOME IN WEEKS! How do you think your dear old dad has felt all this time, wondering if my baby boy is doing okay? Have you been eating your vegetables? Did you remember to change your underwear?"_

"Shut up!" Ichigo scowled, cheeks flaming. If someone were to walk past his room, he had no doubt that they would be able to hear every embarrassing word that passed through his father's lips. Even if he muted the goddamn computer, he had a feeling that the old goat would still be able to humiliate him somehow. "I'm a freakin' adult, remember? I can take care of myself just fine."

" _Oh, I see what's going on here!"_ Isshin shouted loudly, pointing an accusatory finger at him through the computer screen. _"Just because you beat a few Hollows back in the day, you think you don't need your poor old father anymore, don't you? Well, let me tell you something, ya little brat! I think you're gettin' just a bit too big for your britches!"_

"Believe what you want, but I've been able to handle myself just fine so far. And for your information, I've completed all of my job assignments so far with nothing but success. My boss seems to think I'm _more_ than capable of taking care of myself _and_ my teammates."

" _Oh, is that right? Little Integra is happy with your performance? Well, I guess I can't give you too much crap then after all."_ Sobering visibly, his father grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. _"Even when she was still waddling around in nothing but training pants, that woman expected nothing but perfection from the people around her. If she's happy with your work ethic so far, then that's good enough for me."_

Ichigo blinked in surprise.

Genuine praise from his dad wasn't exactly rare, but it was still surprising whenever he heard it. The old goofball was usually so crazy, and seeing him act like a normal human being was something that the orange-head never really expected.

However, it quickly became apparent that his train of thought had jinxed him…

Isshin's proud smile quickly morphed into an irritated expression, and he leaned forward so close to the camera on his end that Ichigo swore he could see every single one of the man's pores. _"But that doesn't change the fact that we haven't heard from you in weeks! Yuzu has been worried sick about you!"_

Ichigo's scowl returned. "I've been busy…"

" _ICHIGO!"_

The booming tone caught the former Substitute by complete surprise, and his eyes widened at the uncharacteristically serious mien his father suddenly adopted. Isshin's brow was set down in disappointment, and his dark eyes were hard. It was like a switch had inexplicably been flipped, reverting the man into his 'Captain' mode. _"I understand that you have been spending your time over there in London doing your job, but the fact that this is the first I'm hearing from you is inexcusable! What was one of the most important lessons I taught you as a child?"_

"I…"

" _No matter what is going on in your life, family is the most important thing. School is important, and so is work, but neither of those things are more important than those you love. Would it really kill you to try harder to find time to talk with us?"_

Ichigo's eyes fell into his lap, and shame slowly pooled into his gut. The old man was right. He _had_ been putting off contacting his family, as much as he hated to admit it. Being out on his own had admittedly been pretty nice, and putting some distance between himself and Karakura Town had been a welcome change of pace. It was his home, but he had never really planned on staying there his entire life.

Still, that was no excuse to not keep in touch with his dad and sisters…

"I'm sorry…"

" _You'd better be,"_ Isshin huffed irritably. _"As punishment, I hereby command you to tell me everything that has happened since you've been gone!"_ A joking undertone had returned to the former Captain's voice, and that small fact made Ichigo smile slightly. And so, he told father everything he could concerning what had occurred within the past few weeks. Of course, there were some things Integra had forbidden him from discussing with anyone not part of the Hellsing Organization, but he was still able to divulge small bits of information regarding his meetings with Alucard, Walter, Pip, and Seras. He also talked about his encounters with Alexander Anderson and the forces of Iscariot.

The old man's eyes narrowed minutely at _that_ particular piece of information.

Ichigo was tempted to question his father on the matter, but ultimately decided against it and continued with his story. The tale culminated when he discussed what had most recently occurred in Tobioka City.

That _also_ got a reaction out of his father.

" _Tobioka, eh? Say, you didn't happen to run into our old friend…?"_

"I did. She's doing well."

" _SAYO-CHAAAAAAAN!"_ Isshin shouted childishly, placing his hands on his cheeks and dancing in place like a lunatic. _"Oh, I just know she's grown into a fine you woman! Tell me all about her!"_

"Well, she's a nurse at Mochizuki General Hospital. Speaking of that old weirdo, he's still kicking, too. He _does_ look like a shriveled-up raisin, though…"

" _Respect your elders, brat!"_

"Whatever. Anyway, Sayo also seems to have overcome the issues she had back when she was still staying with us. She's confident, cheerful, and strong as all hell. She might even be able to give Chad a real run for his money as far as ordinary physical strength is concerned."

" _Oh? And how do ya know that?"_

"We… may have had a brief fight."

" _How in the hell did that happen…?"_

Ichigo grunted. It wouldn't really hurt tell the old man about his assignment, would it? "One of my coworkers and I were recently sent to Japan to deal with a group of vigilantes operating out of Tobioka City. I bet you can guess who one of them was…"

Isshin blinked. _"Sayo? Really?"_

The orange-head nodded in affirmation. "Yep. Apparently, she's part of a secret organization that actually operates within the hospital itself. They call themselves 'Black Label.' Ever heard of it before?"

" _Course I have; I've known Masamune Mochizuki for years. You'd be surprised how many things I know, Ichigo. I'm just honestly a bit surprised that Sayo decided to join up with them… she was such a sweet little girl back in the day. It's hard to imagine she'd ever kill anyone."_

Ichigo's stomach twisted slightly at that little reminder. Still, even though it had become all too apparent that Sayo didn't hesitate to kill, she'd made it more than clear that she only terminated those who made life miserable for others. Drug lords, sex traffickers, murderers, and the like. He still wasn't fully comfortable with the idea of killing humans, but he supposed executing genuine criminals and monsters was better than innocent people…

" _Just answer me this…"_ Isshin suddenly spoke up, as if somehow reading his very thoughts. _"Is she still a good person?"_

Ichigo smiled as his confidence returned. "She's the best, dad."

The former Captain adopted a knowing smirk, and the orange-head felt his good mood die a horribly brutal death. He knew _exactly_ where this was going…

" _Oh, is that so? Tell me, my boy… has she become a stunning beauty? I always had a feeling that our little Sayo would grow up to be a jaw-dropper."_

Ichigo's face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Well, uh… she's…"

As he continued to stutter over his words and mutter under his breath, Isshin's teasing grin slowly but surely morphed into a look of absolute incredulity. _"No…"_

"What?"

" _Something happened, didn't it? Between the two of you?"_

"Look, dad-"

" _Spill the beans, Ichigo! And don't you dare lie to me! I'll carry my ass all the way to Tobioka City, track down Sayo, and ask HER if I have to!"_

Growling, Ichigo released a resigned sigh. He'd been dreading this moment ever since he and Sayo had made their new relationship official. He loved his dad, he really did, but the old goat had a nasty habit of overreacting when it came to certain topics. The love life of his children definitely counted as one of those few subjects.

"We're dating…"

" _What?"_

"I said, we're dating."

" _Run that by me again? I don't think I heard you correctly."_

His left eyebrow twitched. "Sayo Hitsugi is now my girlfriend…"

Isshin stared at him blankly though the computer screen, as if he'd just been told a Tyrannosaurus Rex was wearing a pink leotard and doing the worm in the middle of the street. He remained silent for a good five minutes, and Ichigo was honestly starting to worry that he might've broken his dear old dad.

" _WHAT?!"_

The sudden shout surprised Ichigo to such a degree that he toppled over in his chair and tumbled to the floor in a tangled heap.

" _My boy finally has a girlfriend!"_ Isshin whooped joyously, throwing his arms into the air and running around the living room like a madman. He jumped over furniture, off the walls, and cried so happily that he might as well have won a trillion-dollar lottery. _"Oh, happy days! After eighteen long years! I was starting to think that you might be playing for the same team; not that there's anything wrong with that, of course. But hallelujah!"_

From his spot on the floor,Ichigo watched in bewilderment as his father threw himself against the giant poster of his mother he kept on the living room wall.

" _Did you hear that, Masaki?! Our baby boy is finally becoming a man! And with dear little Sayo, no less! Whoever would have guessed that shy little Ichigo would be into older women? Oh wait, that's right… I DID!"_

With a growl, Ichigo picked himself up and sat back in his chair. "Cut it out, will ya? You're making an idiot out of yourself…"

Seemingly content with ignoring his son, Isshin continued to dance around the room like a maniac. He also started singing an indistinguishable song about love at the top of his lungs.

Letting out a sigh, the former Substitute decided to just sit back and let his father work through all of his energy until he eventually tired himself out. Was it really such a big deal that he'd entered his first real relationship? There'd been plenty of girls who had tried to approach him back in middle school, as well as during the earlier years of high school. After a while, though, they'd just sort of stopped.

It hadn't taken a genius to realize that they all thought he just wasn't interested. Either that, or they figured he was unapproachable.

Truth be told, he really _hadn't_ held any interest in girls or dating back then. Sure, he'd had the odd crush here and there, but none of them had really been worth investing in. And when he'd initially received his Soul Reaper powers, the idea of romance and intimate relationships had disappeared from his mind altogether.

That had all changed when he'd met Seras.

Granted, he still wasn't exactly sure what he felt for the blonde vampiress, but it was definitely stronger than just ordinary feelings of friendship. And then he'd run into Sayo in Tobioka City after nearly a decade spent apart, and the fledgling emotions he'd felt towards her back in the day had returned in spades. His father _was_ right in one regard, as much as it pained him to admit it…

Sayo really had grown into an unbelievably beautiful woman.

And to top it all off, she had actually _encouraged_ him to continue exploring his feelings for Seras. He honestly didn't know exactly what to think about that, if he was being completely truthful with himself. Sure, he'd heard of outlandish mangas where the main character ended up dating more than one of his admirers, but this was real life. _Real_ feelings could be shattered, and real hearts could be broken.

He had no idea how he was going to do it, but Ichigo knew he definitely needed to approach Seras in one form or another, and come clean about his new relationship with Sayo. If she wanted nothing to do with him after that, then that was fine. However, if she still showed interest, then he was willing to extend the offer Sayo had proposed. How would that even work, though? Having two girlfriends? Plenty of his friends would likely kill to be in such a situation, but Ichigo didn't want to play with the hearts of two of the most important people in his life. Still, if it came down to a forced decision, he knew in his heart that he would choose Sayo.

He still felt some kind of feelings for Seras, but the bluenette was already his girlfriend. And, despite the short amount of time they'd been in a relationship with one another, he truly loved her with all of his heart. He refused to betray her if Seras asked him to choose.

He knew it would hurt, but he was prepared for that.

Still, though, there really wasn't any use in dwelling on the subject for too long at the current time. Not when the blonde occupying his thoughts was still on her way back to the Manor. He'd deal with the issue once she actually arrived, and he was able to catch a moment alone with her.

"… _chigo! Ichigo!"_

Blinking as his father's voice cut through his thoughts, Ichigo turned his attention back to the computer screen in front of him. "Huh? What is it?"

Isshin's expression was slightly concerned. _"You zoned out on me for at least three minutes. You okay?"_

He was so very tempted to ask his father for advice regarding his dilemma. However, knowing the old man, he would likely have some useless words of wisdom or actively encourage him to chase after both of the women occupying his thoughts. Still though… what could it hurt?

"Dad… what do you do when you don't want to hurt someone, but you might not have a choice? How do you make sure everyone stays happy?"

If he was at all caught off guard by the strange question, Isshin didn't show any outward signs. He remained silent for several moments, simply staring at his son through the computer screen. Ichigo shifted in discomfort under the calculative gaze, but sat firm and maintained eye contact. Finally, his dad let out a sigh and closed his eyes, shaking his head. _"I hate to say it, but you can't always make everyone happy, Ichigo. You can try and try, but that will just likely end up driving you insane. There comes a point in life where you just have to take a good hard look at yourself, and ask 'what is the best thing for me?' You may want to make sure that the people around you are experiencing the same fulfillment that you are, but that is a genuine impossibility. If you spend your life hovering over others, then you'll likely turn grey by your next birthday."_

"Gee, thanks for the advice…"

" _Hey, I know it sucks, but it's the truth. It's an admirable thing to want to look out for everyone around you, and I'm proud of you for feeling that way, but you honestly need to live your life with your own best interests in mind. Helping others is fantastic, but don't let it become an obsession that runs you ragged. Now, is there any particular reason why you asked me such a thing?"_

"I… no. No, there isn't."

It was more than clear that his father didn't believe a word of that, but thankfully he didn't push the issue any further. Instead, he sat back down in front of his own computer and fixed his son with a peculiar look. He continued to stare in silence for a good five minutes, after which time Ichigo finally decided he'd had enough.

"What is it?"

Leaning back in his chair, Isshin folded his arms over his chest. _"You mentioned that your Soul Reaper powers are returning, right?"_

"Um, yeah…?"

" _Quickly?"_

"Faster every day. But no, not very."

" _Hm. I thought not. Listen, I called in a favor a few days ago from a shared acquaintance of ours. She'll be arriving in London any day now to help keep an eye on you."_

"What?!" Ichigo barked, standing up so quickly that his chair was once again sent toppling to the floor. "I don't need a damn babysitter! I've been doing just fine by myself!"

" _Oh, is that right? Well, I guess I must have misheard you when you said Alucard essentially saved your bacon during your encounter with Alexander Anderson. Is that right?"_

The orange-head winced.

" _I must've also heard wrong when you told me that Yuuko and Sayo basically kicked the crap out of you in Tobioka City. Oh, and let's not forget that your victory against the Quincy girl was due to dumb luck and convenience. She left your battle to go and search for one of her comrades, right?"_

"I…"

" _Look, in any other circumstance I wouldn't be as worried as I am now. However, if everything you've told me is true, then you're going up against more and more powerful opponents with each passing day. The simple fact is that you just aren't strong enough to take them head-on by yourself just yet. Do you disagree?"_

Ichigo bit lip. He _wanted_ to say that he could handle everything that was thrown at him, but that would just be an outright lie. At least for now. The truth of the matter was that he _wasn't_ strong enough to fight on the same level as Alucard and Seras just yet. Granted, he was more powerful than Pip, but that really wasn't saying much. His French comrade was just an ordinary human who had no previous history of fighting against supernatural opponents.

He hated the idea of having someone constantly keeping an eye on him, but given the circumstances it didn't really sound like he had a choice. With a sigh, he lightly shook his head. "No, I don't…"

" _I thought not. Listen, I know you aren't happy about this, but you'll understand my reasons when you become a parent yourself one day,"_ Isshin said. _"When you become a parent, you will be willing to do ANYTHING to protect your children."_

Ichigo snorted. He wasn't exactly thinking about settling down and making any babies just yet. "So, who's coming to stalk me?"

His father grinned, and that grin made an unpleasant chill run down his spine. _"Oh, but why should I tell you? That would take all of the fun out of it! You'll find out when she gets there!"_

"I hate you…"

" _I love you too, my darling son!"_

Reaching out, Ichigo pressed the button on his laptop that would end the call. His dad's smiling face disappeared, and he was left to look at nothing but a blank screen. Dread and worry began to pool in his gut. Who the hell had his old man sent to watch over him?

Surely, it wasn't one of the maniacs from the Soul Society?

However, his dad _had_ said it would be a shared acquaintance…

And unfortunately, most of their shared acquaintances _were_ supernatural in nature. Oh God, what if it was Rukia?! Ichigo didn't know if he could bear having that freeloading little midget sleeping in his closet yet again. She always borrowed things without asking! Living with her had been an absolute _nightmare_!

His bedroom door suddenly opened.

Ichigo shrieked and involuntarily flung himself across the room.

From the doorway, Walter fixed him with a look of utter bewilderment. "Master Ichigo, are you quite alright?"

Groaning from his spot on the floor, the aforementioned orange-head rubbed his aching scalp where it had collided brutally with the wall. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little jumpy, I guess…"

If Walter was at all curious, he did a damn fine job at hiding it. Instead, he swept his left arm across his chest and bowed elegantly. "Well, I do hope you are in good health; I know your assignment in Japan must have been incredibly taxing. Nevertheless, Sir Integra sent me to come and fetch you."

"Why?" Ichigo asked, awkwardly returning to his feet.

"Well, Alucard and Miss Victoria have just returned from their own assignment. Sir Integra wishes to hear a brief report from them, as well as you and Mister Bernadotte. We will all then make haste towards Buckingham Palace, where we will present our findings regarding Millennium to Her Majesty the Queen herself."

The former Substitute's eyes widened considerably. They were going to meet the freakin' Queen of England?! Was there some kind of dress code he needed to be aware of?!

Seemingly sensing his internal debate, Walter chuckled good-naturedly and returned to an upright stance. "Worry not, young Master. I realize that you are not fully familiar with the customs and necessities regarding an audience with Her Majesty, but I highly doubt you will have to do much speaking. If need be, I will tell Mister Bernadotte to give your mission report when the time comes."

"Y-Yeah, that would probably be a good idea."

"Excellent. Now then, if you would please follow me…"

Doing as he was told, Ichigo allowed the elderly retainer to guide him out of the room and through the labyrinth of hallways leading to Integra's personal offices. They passed several members of the Manor's staff, as well as some of the Wild Geese, all of whom greeted the orange-head warmly and expressed their pleasure at seeing him back home safe and sound. The sentiment actually brought a warm feeling to his chest, and Ichigo found himself returning their greetings with equal enthusiasm.

Additionally, he took pleasure in the fact that all of the previous damage caused by the Valentine Brothers' assault had disappeared completely. Not a single lamp nor painting was out of place. It was as if the attack had never taken place to begin with. Soon enough, he and Walter found themselves at the entrance to the destination.

The Hellsing butler grasped the handle to one of the massive double doors, and slowly pulled it open to grant them access to what lay beyond.

* * *

London was just as dreary as she'd expected it to be.

It was cold, it was wet, and the sky was an ugly shade of grey.

She would have much rather been back at home, curled up in her warm bed. Oh, and a roaring fire sounded absolutely _divine_ right about now. Still, though, Isshin _had_ called in the favor she owed him, and she liked to think of herself as someone who didn't go back on her word. She'd just have to suck it up and do her best to grow accustomed to the weather as quickly as possible.

Besides, it wasn't like she'd be here forever. Only until Ichigo's powers returned to such an amount that he could properly defend himself against supernaturally enhanced opponents. It would be good to see the little brat again, but she genuinely wished he'd chosen anywhere else on the planet to find employment.

Being within a hundred feet of Alucard always made her skin crawl.

There were very few beings in existence, alive or dead, that truly unnerved her. Unfortunately, the Hellsing Family's pet was one of those entities. She'd lost multiple comrades to him several hundred years ago, when they'd been tasked with wiping him off the face of the Earth. _That_ particular mission had gone south faster than anyone would have ever thought possible. Five of her subordinates had been killed in battle by the monster, and the rest of her squad had returned to Soul Society with shattered pride and wounded spirits.

After that, Yoruichi had made a personal vow to never set eyes upon Alucard ever again if she could help it. Funny how things had played out…

Clearing her thoughts of the troubling memories, the former Captain of the Stealth Force pressed her feline body close to the ground and slunk across the Hellsing Manor's massive garden. Pausing under a rose bush, she hunkered down and locked her gaze on the massive building in front of her. It wouldn't be a problem for someone of her skill set to sneak into such a place, but doing so completely undetected was another matter entirely. Granted, the guards stationed all over the grounds likely wouldn't think twice about seeing what they would likely assume was a stray cat wandering around, but she wasn't willing to chance it. These men were trained to expect the unexpected, and she didn't want to draw their attention.

Suddenly, as if the Soul King himself had decided to smile down upon her, a ray of sunlight inexplicably cut through the clouds and shone off of a metallic surface on the Manor's outer wall. Squinting her eyes, Yoruichi smiled internally upon realizing that she was looking at a ventilation grate.

' _Maybe my luck is changing after all,'_ she mused to herself.

Sparing a brief glance at the closest armed guard, she waited until his back was turned before darting out from her hiding place. Crossing the distance to the mansion's main structure was a laughably simple matter, and only took a couple of minutes. She merely slunk from bush to bush until she finally reached her destination, leaving the 'highly trained mercenaries' absolutely clueless as to her movements.

When one spent their entire life training to lead the Soul Society's most elite task force of assassins and killers, sneaking by a group of mere humans became child's play.

Still, it never killed anyone to be cautious.

Scaling the wall up to the ventilation grate was also fairly easy. Her feline form's claws made climbing a breeze, and she ascended the creepers and vines growing up the side of the wall in a matter of seconds. Her claws also made it easy to silently unscrew the bolts holding the grate in place. When she was done, it opened with a slight creak, swinging open on the two remaining bolts she'd left in place.

Thankfully, though, the noise was insignificant enough to not draw any attention from the men below.

Sneaking into the ventilation shaft, Yoruichi paused momentarily and closed her eyes to extend her spiritual awareness. Her sense of reach extended throughout the entirety of the mansion, and it didn't take long for her to find Ichigo. His spiritual output was still relatively weak; not even a third of what he'd possessed back during the Winter War. Still, his energy signature was unmistakable.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though he was in the same room as Alucard…

Additionally, there were four other individuals in the immediate area as well.

Three were human, but the fourth was engulfed in Spiritual Energy nearly identical to Alucard's. It was nowhere nearly as potent, though. A fledgling vampire, perhaps?

Poor soul.

Opening her golden eyes, Yoruichi began walking in the direction of Ichigo's energy. She paused here and there to peer down through the random grates in the ceiling she passed on the way. More guards, dressed identically to those outside, patrolled the halls of the manor with anti-vampire weaponry strapped to their personnel. Maids, butlers, and other servants were present as well, and Yoruichi hissed to herself as she continued forward. Moving around outside of the ventilation shafts looked like it was going to be a lot more troublesome than she'd hoped…

Before too long, she finally found the room she was looking for. Looking down through the grate before her, she easily spotted the familiar head of bright orange hair she'd helped train three years ago.

Ichigo had grown.

No longer was he the inexperienced boy who'd desperately wanted to obtain his Bankai in order to save Rukia Kuchiki. He was a grown man in his own right, and a light coat of prickly stubble adorned his chin and jawline. Oh, where had the time gone?

With no small measure of amusement, Yoruichi watched as her darling pupil was wrapped in a bone-crushing hug by a much shorter blonde girl, who _easily_ lifted him off his feet. The color left his face, and he gasped desperately for air. The Flash Goddess actively fought to reign in her audible mirth.

"That's enough, Seras," a tan-skinned woman said from behind a large mahogany desk at the head of the room, situated in front of an enormous window pane. Her tone was firm, but there was a measure of amusement hidden within it.

Based on the stories she'd been told by Isshin, Yoruichi was confident in assuming that this was the illustrious Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing. She was a far cry from the pouty little girl that Isshin had so fondly spoken of. This was a strong and confident woman, and Youichi immediately found herself liking her.

Anyone who could tame Alucard deserved at least some measure of genuine respect.

The bubbly blonde inadvertently strangling Ichigo shrieked in embarrassment, and the orange-haired boy was finally released from her iron-clad clutches. He fell to the floor, and instantly wrapped his arms around his ribcage as he greedily sucked down mouthfuls of oxygen.

"Oh my God, Ichigo! I'm so sorry!"

"D-Don't worry about it…"

"Are you alright?"

As the two youngsters continued their exchange, Yoruichi turned her attention to the other two obvious humans in the room. One was a rather distinguished-looking older man, dressed in clothing befitting a butler. His jet-black hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, and a monocle covered his left eye. He stood dutifully behind Integra, watching the situation playing out before him with a clearly amused smile.

That cheeky grin reminded her slightly of Kisuke.

The other man was much younger, and dressed in a uniform similar to the men who had been patrolling the garden and hallways. If she were to venture a guess, she'd say this would be their commander. A leather patch covered his left eye, and his incredibly long hair was stylized in a braid, which was in turn wrapped around his neck and shoulders. A strange hat sat upon his head, but Yoruichi was no stranger to odd choices of headgear.

Kisuke absolutely _refused_ to part with his beloved bucket hat. Honestly, sometimes she'd even thought she had heard him _talking_ to the damn thing as if it were his beloved child or something.

Removing her gaze from the man, she turned her attention to the final individual present in the room.

Blazing crimson eyes stared back at her.

Yoruichi felt her blood run cold.

Alucard's smile pulled up into a cruel sneer.

He _knew_ she was here, and he wasn't at all bothered with letting her know that fact. Was he going to expose her? Was she going to have to make a hasty retreat? At best, she could make a mad dash back down the way she'd came. At worst, she could assume her human form within the cramped space and Flash Step away. The muscles in her legs tensed, and she prepared to bolt.

However, much to her surprise, Alucard actually _winked_ at her. He then turned away, focusing back on the interaction between Ichigo and the blonde girl. Her heart continued to hammer in her chest. There was no way the vampire wouldn't confront her later, but he obviously wanted to do so away from the other people in the room. Why?

Her mind raced a mile a minute, but she eventually made her decision.

If violence became inevitable, she would simply utilize Flash Step to make her getaway. Until then, she would remain in place and watch everything below her unfold. Making herself comfortable, she settled down and locked her golden gaze on Ichigo. He looked incredibly nervous, which was an emotion she didn't see very often on his face.

It was actually kind of adorable…

It made her think back to simpler times, when he'd first become involved with the supernatural world. It seemed like only yesterday that he'd first come barging into Kisuke's shop, desperate to find a way to open up a Senkaimon to the Soul Society. Hard to believe it had actually been three years since that day.

Three years since she'd joined him on his mission to save Rukia Kuchiki.

Three years since he'd been beaten to a pulp by Byakuya for the first time.

Three years since she'd trained him in the hot springs to obtain his Bankai.

Where had the time gone?

Releasing a quiet breath, Yoruichi rested her chin on her front paws, crossing one over the other. Her gaze shifted to Alucard once more, and she caught him looking up at her again. Narrowing her eyes, she opened her mouth and hissed at him fiercely. Normally, she would have _never_ done something so immature and feral, but at this point she didn't really care.

The undead bastard could go fuck himself.

Alucard blinked in genuine surprise, before his face once again split into a mocking grin.

She wished her current form had the physical ability to flip him off.

Turning her attention back to Ichigo, she tuned out the conversation he was having with Integra and allowed her thoughts to drift to more pleasant topics. Like the unbridled mirth she'd felt all those years ago when she'd first exposed the orange-head to her true form. Even the mere thought of his gob-smacked face still made her tail twitch in amusement. Out of everyone who had seen her transform over the years, his reaction was the most priceless.

She wondered if he was still as inexperienced with women as he was back then…

What was she thinking? Of course he was!

This was _Ichigo Kurosaki_ she was talking about. The boy who turned red at the mere mention of the naked female form. He probably hadn't even given away his first kiss yet. Such an innocent little soul he was…

It made it all the more unfortunate that he was becoming the focus of quite the turbulent political conflict within the supernatural world.

If what Isshin had told her was correct, then multiple figureheads from the many factions across the globe were all fighting one another to obtain the rights to Ichigo's power. It was no secret that his Soul Reaper abilities were returning, and it wouldn't be too terribly long before he was just as powerful as he'd been when he had initially lost them. That made him an incredible asset, which _many_ powerful people would kill to get their hands on. From what she'd been able to hear through Isshin, the Soul Society and the rest of the Shinto Faction were making the most reasonable case for regaining their rights to the kid, but Sirzechs sounded like he wasn't willing to give up anytime soon…

That surprised her.

Yoruichi had never figured the Prince of Hell for someone who would ever potentially be interested in Ichigo. Then again, he'd always been rather chummy with Isshin. If she remembered correctly, Sirzechs had also been extraordinarily close with Masaki, back when the latter was still alive. His icy bride had always been on good terms with the Kurosaki family as well.

Personally, Yoruichi had no problem with the red-haired Devil. In fact, she held no real ill-will towards Devils in general. However, she honestly didn't quite know how she felt about young Ichigo being dragged down to the Underworld. Granted, it wasn't like he couldn't take care of himself, but he still belonged up here where she- where _Soul Society_ could keep a watchful eye on him. He was still young, after all.

Youngsters needed to be looked after.

Even someone as powerful as Ichigo needed someone who was willing to watch his back.

That being the case, it was only right that _she_ be the one to fill that spot. After all, she was experienced, an extremely accomplished fighter, and someone who knew the boy on a personal level. It would be an extremely arduous task, no doubt, but she was willing to accept that. The orange fool certainly couldn't look after himself.

Down below, Integra released a frustrated sigh and reached up to massage her temples. "While I can't say I expected things to play out the way they did for you, I'm glad you were provided with the necessary assistance to rescue Detective Suzue. It puts my mind at ease knowing that Black Label is willing to work alongside us should the need arise. Ichigo, this old friend of yours is someone I would personally like to meet someday. Her supernatural strength interests me; I'd like to understand its origin."

The orange-head nodded. "I'll shoot Sayo a text and let her know."

Yoruichi blinked in surprise.

Sayo? As in little Sayo Hitsugi? She hadn't heard that name in a long time…

"The Pulya Organization helped us too," the man in the slouch hat spoke up. Standing up from the chair he'd been sitting in, he tossed the end of his long braid over his shoulder. "Without them, I doubt we would've had the necessary know-how to accomplish our mission. Their services proved to be invaluable."

"As much as it pains me to owe any kind of debt to Balalaika, I shall make an effort to contact her and thank her for her team's assistance," Integra replied grudgingly. "Now then, you say that although Black Label was proven to have no connection to Millennium, you _did_ still encounter several Millennium agents?"

"Yes, Sir," the long-haired man replied. "We ran into three of them, to be precise. Two of them were artificial vampires, but their commander was unlike anything I have ever seen or read about in Hellsing's data files."

Ichigo stepped forward. "That's because she was a Quincy."

Yoruichi's eyes widened. A _Quincy_?! That was impossible; Soul Society had eradicated nearly all of the Quincies centuries ago save for Ryuken and Uryu Ishida. Even _if_ a small number of them had managed to survive undetected, it couldn't have been enough for them to start causing trouble now…

Below, Integra's eyes narrowed. "Forgive me, I am not familiar with the term… what is a 'Quincy?'"

"A Quincy is a human being gifted with the ability to see and interact with the Spiritual World," Ichigo explained. "Hundreds of years ago, Soul Society and the Quincies went to war, due to the fact that the Quincies were creating an imbalance within the cycle of life and death."

"How so?"

"My dad told you about Hollows, right? Well, Soul Society's main purpose is to send out Soul Reapers in order to purify the numerous Hollows that roam the Living World. They cleanse their corrupted souls, and then send them to Soul Society where they can live out the rest of their afterlife in peace."

Interga leaned forward, once again resting her chin on her interlocked fingers. Her eyes were sharp, and it was clear she was listening intently to the former Substitute's story.

Ichigo continued speaking. "Quincies were of the belief that Hollows were simply pure evil, which is as far from the truth as you can get. That said, they made it their mission to _eradicate_ the Hollows instead of purifying them. They destroyed so many corrupted souls that it created an imbalance within the afterlife. Soul Society tried to warn them of what they were doing, but they wouldn't listen; so they were destroyed instead."

"I see…" Integra said quietly, nodding in understanding. "And, have you encountered any of these individuals prior to your mission in Tobioka City?"

The orange-head nodded. "Yeah, but they're my friends. One of my classmates from back in Karakura Town and his father are both Quincies."

Alucard chuckled deeply from the corner of the room, drawing the attention of everyone present. "How interesting your story is, Ghost Boy. The Police Girl and I also encountered a Quincy during our time in Brazil; coincidently enough, he was _also_ working with Millennium."

Standing from her chair, Integra fixed everyone in the room with a firm gaze. "This cannot be a coincidence. Unfortunately, we will have to wait to hear the rest of Alucard's report. The scheduled time for our meeting with the Queen is drawing near, and I refuse to allow the Hellsing Organization's reputation to be tarnished by being late. Rest assured, though, that we _will_ get to the bottom of this; this collaboration between the Quincies and Millennium is not something that we can allow to continue."

Ichigo, the blonde girl standing next to him, and the man with the long braid all nodded in unison. The butler merely continued to stand silently, and Alucard's lips pulled up into a cruel smile.

The sight of it made Yoruichi shiver.

She had no idea what the hell was going on, but it all sounded far more serious than Isshin had ever believed. She had no clue what 'Millennium' was, but if they were working with an unknown group of Quincies, it could definitely spell trouble for the whole of Soul Society. Still though, it wouldn't do for her to jump the gun just yet. As the previous commander of the Stealth Force, she more than anyone knew the value in watching and waiting in lieu of rushing headfirst into a dangerous situation. Doing such a thing could get you killed faster than you could blink.

That being the case, the would stick around and gather more info before rushing off to warn Isshin or Kisuke.

"Alright then," Intgera said. "Alucard, Seras, unload the rest of your equipment from the car, and be quick about it. Ichigo, Mister Bernadotte, please go make yourselves a bit more presentable. We will be meeting with royalty in only an hour. You are all dismissed for now."

Everyone present, save for the butler, quickly filed out of the room.

Quietly, Yoruichi stood up and followed them through the air shaft, making certain to keep an eye trained on her young charge. Ichigo exchanged a brief word with the chipper blonde who'd nearly crushed him to death, and she nodded happily and merrily turned to walk down another hallway. Ichigo remained stationary for a moment, watching her go.

What was with that? She would make sure to ask him once they were alone.

The orange-head quickly began moving again, and Yoruichi did her best to keep up with him. As he approached the end of one hallway, Ichigo turned a corner down a new one, still completely ignorant to the fact that he was being followed. By the Soul King, the boy really was rusty, wasn't he? Yoruichi did the same, intent on keeping him within her line of sight. However, as she rounded the upcoming corner in the air shaft, she suddenly found a rather unpleasant obstacle obstructing her path.

Alucard's burning crimson eyes locked on her, and she immediately froze. The vampire's head, neck, and shoulders occupied the entirety of the space in front of her, making the possibility of squeezing past him impossible.

"Flash Goddess. It's been a century or two… how are you?"

Yoruichi bit back the seething retort she'd reflexively prepared to deliver. Instead, she calmly sat down and regarded the monster in front of her with a cool glare. "Hello, Alucard; I'm well, thank you for asking. I see that your time in Miss Hellsing's employ has exponentially improved your manners."

The vampire chuckled lowly, shoulders shaking with unrestrained mirth. "Yes, well, when one is in the constant company of humans, it tends to mellow one out. And what of you? Where have you been licking your wounds since our last dance?"

She bristled at the jab, but didn't rise to the bait. "Let's just say that I've found a permanent home within the Living World. Now, let's cut to the chase… what do you want?"

"Should I not be asking _you_ that? You are the one trespassing on my Master's property, after all."

Yoruichi's muscles tensed. "Are you going to expose me?"

"Do you intend to bring my Master any harm?"

"Of course not. I'm only here for Ichigo."

"Ah, the Ghost Boy, hmm? In that case, I see no reason to enter a physical confrontation. It matters very little to me, but I know Sir Integra would be quite upset if we ruined anything within the Manor. We just finished rebuilding, you see."

"Hm. May I pass?"

Alucard chuckled, obviously having picked up on the clear dismissal in her tone. Phasing through the side of the ventilation shaft, he allowed her to continue on her way. As she passed him, Yoruichi felt every single hair on her body rise up in warning, as if trying to tell her that she was turning her back on an apex predator.

"Oh, Flash Goddess?"

She paused, but did not turn back around face him.

"Can you still hear them? Alucard asked mockingly. "Can you still hear the screams of your subordinates as I tore them to pieces? As I ripped out their throats, feasted on their innards, and absorbed their consciousness into myself? Would you like to know what their final thoughts were?"

Yoruichi's mouth pulled into a fierce snarl. Her claws emerged, and her tail twitched furiously behind her.

The vampire _laughed._ "They all wondered why their dear Captain was abandoning them. They desperately wondered what they'd done to anger you, for you to have led them into such death trap. You know you failed them, correct? They trusted you to lead them, but all you led them to was a slow an agonizing demise."

She hissed violently, but did not give Alucard the satisfaction of seeing her facial expression. Instead, she bolted down the airshaft, following Ichigo's minuscule amount of Spiritual Energy.

Cackling laughter followed her.

She weaved through the labyrinth of air ducts, desperate to put as much distance between herself and the monster behind her as possible. Before too long, she finally found the destination she was looking for. Peering through the ventilation grate in front of her, she saw Ichigo in the room below, engrossed in the task of unpacking numerous objects and personal belongings from a suitcase that was set on an enormous bed with pristine white sheets.

Was this his room?

Of course it was. What else could it be?

A multitude of teasing scenarios played through her mind, bringing a coy smile to her face. She could wait until he went into the bathroom, then jump down onto the bed, transform into her human form, and wait for him to come out. His reaction would undoubtedly be priceless.

But no, knowing Ichigo he would likely make some sort of loud noise in surprise. And _that_ would attract unwanted attention to her presence. Alucard already knew she was here; she didn't need the entire staff of Hellsing Manor to know as well. As much fun as it would be to tease her young charge an elicit an embarrassed reaction from him, time was of the essence. Best to simply be forward and to the point.

With a harsh slap of her paw, the ventilation grate fell from its place and fell down onto Ichigo's bed. The orange-head's attention immediately snapped in the direction of the noise, and his eyes quickly trained on her as she jumped down from the airshaft and down onto the bed as well.

"W-Wha…?"

"Hello Ichigo," she said calmly, sitting down and making herself comfortable. The mattress really _was_ extraordinarily soft. She could get used to sleeping something so heavenly.

" _Yoruichi?!_ Is that you…?"

"Do you know any other talking black cats?"

"Why the hell are you- oh no… my dad sent _you_ to keep an eye on me?!"

If her current form was capable of pouting, Yoruichi would have done so. "You sound so upset at the idea. Do you truly despise me so…?"

"What? No, I… ugh. Look, I don't need a babysitter. You can go back home to Kisuke's if you want."

"How rude. I came all the way from Karakura Town, and you don't even invite me to stay the night and rest my tired little paws? I'd have thought I taught you to be more gentlemanly than that."

"Don't give me that! I know Hat-n-Clogs probably set up a Garganta for you!"

"Maybe so," she admitted easily, settling down and wrapping her tail around her body. "Still, your father entrusted me to keep an eye on you until your powers return to a significant degree. So, like it or not, you're just going to have to suck it up and get comfortable with the idea of me sticking around until then."

"Oh, damn it all!" the orange-head cried, clenching his teeth and reaching up to grasp two fistfuls of hair. "This is the absolute last thing I need in my life right now! I've already got enough on my mind as it is…"

Yoruichi's brows drew downward.

In an instant, her body was engulfed in a puff of grey smoke. Her fur disappeared, replaced by a smooth expanse of dark brown skin. Her paws morphed into hands and feet, and her tail retracted into the base of her spine, right above her plump, round buttocks.

Ichigo choked.

Slowly, she slid off the bed. Placing one foot in front of the other, she approached him like a panther that had just cornered its prey. Her eyes rooted him in place, and his whole body tensed as she delicately placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ichigo…"

"Bwah…?"

"Are you truly so disgusted with the idea of my presence?" she asked, drumming her fingers slowly against his collarbone. "I, for one, was delighted by the thought of seeing you again. It's been so long, and your never came by the shop for a visit…"

"I… I…"

"Not in three years."

"I'm sorry…?"

She snorted, gently slapping his right cheek. He winced, but she hadn't put any real force behind the action. "Damn right, you're sorry. How could you just abandon your poor teacher like that? It gets so lonely, what with Kisuke working in his underground bunker all of the time. Tessai is always helping him, and Ururu and Jinta spend most of their days at school."

"Well…"

"You wouldn't mind, would you?" she asked, allowing her tongue to rake along her bottom lip. To her ever-growing amusement, Ichigo went as red as his namesake. "You wouldn't mind coming down to _keep me company_ …?" To her surprise, the orange-head's expression suddenly sobered, and he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. This hadn't been the reaction she'd been expecting at all. "Ichigo, darling, what's wrong?"

"Could you please not do that?"

"Hmm? Do what?"

" _That!"_ her former pupil hissed. "Tease me like it's just some kind of game to you! Besides, for your information, I have a girlfriend now."

What? Certainly not.

Yoruichi scoffed. "You mean that blonde who was standing next to you during your meeting with Integra? I'll admit, she's pretty stacked, but she's got nothing on most of the women in Soul Society."

"You were _spying_ on us?! No, wait, that's not the point! If you must know, Seras isn't my girlfriend. Sayo is."

The Flash Goddess blinked. "Sayo?"

"Yeah."

"Sayo _Hitsugi?_ "

"Yes."

"The little girl who stayed with your family a decade ago?"

"Yes!" Ichigo bit out irritably.

Yoruichi frowned. In a split second, her hand darted out and impacted his chest, sending him tumbling backward into the nearest wall. "Don't think you can get snappy with me, young man. You may be the one who defeated Aizen, but that does not mean by any stretch of the imagination that you get to talk to me however you please. Got it?"

"Y-Yeah."

"What was that?"

"Yes Ma'am…"

"Good boy. Now then, I'll apologize for teasing you; I had no idea you were in a serious relationship. Still, you've got to admit it's a little surprising. I always figured you'd still be a virgin by the time you were fifty."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?!"

" _Have_ the two of you had sex…?"

" _WHAT?!"_

"Oh, come on, you know. Bumped uglies? Done the horizontal tango? Plugged the porthole? I can keep going, if you'd like."

" _PLEASE DON'T!"_

Yoruichi snickered and rested a hand on her hip, still completely uncaring as to her nakedness. It wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. "You're so cute, Ichigo. Still though, you haven't answered my question…"

He scowled, looking down at the floor and going red in the face. "No, we haven't… we don't want to until we're sure we're both ready."

"See? Was that so hard?" she teased. However, a strange feeling bubbled up within her chest upon hearing his denial. She immediately knew what it was, and did her best to kill it as quickly as it appeared.

' _Easy there, old girl…'_

Reaching down to grasp his hand, she hauled Ichigo back to his feet. Just to tease him one more time, she made sure to use more strength than what was necessary, causing his chest to press up against her breasts. He reddened immediately, backing away and stammering out an apology.

How adorable.

"Now then, care to fill me in on what's going on?"

Ichigo looked away, clearly unsure.

She rolled her eyes. "I heard everything earlier, darling. You might as well give me the details."

Letting out a sigh, he shrugged and turned back to face her. "For the past few weeks, Hellsing has been having issues with a rogue group of Nazi fanatics who call themselves 'Millennium.' They sent a pretty big group of Ghouls to the mansion not too long ago, hoping to wipe us all out. The attack was headed by a pair of vampiric brothers, but I managed to kill one of them while Alucard took out the other."

"You killed a vampire? As you are now? How in the hell did you manage that?"

"Well, Alucard loaned me some of his Spirit Energy, and it was apparently enough to jumpstart a small portion of my powers and unleash my Inner Hollow. My abilities have been slowly returning since then."

Hmm… very interesting. Kisuke would no doubt want to analyze the inner workings of how a vampire's chaotic energy had managed to convert into Spiritual Energy capable of reigniting Ichigo's lost powers. "Were you hurt at all?"

"The strain from entering my Hollow form in my physical body knocked me out for a while, but I didn't take any battle damage, if that's what you're asking."

"That's good. You were saying?"

Ichigo nodded. "Anyway, as you heard when you were _spying_ on us…"

Yoruichi stuck out her tongue.

"… we recently discovered that Millennium has Quincies operating within their ranks. I can't imagine how, though, considering Uryu and Ryuken are supposed to be the only two left alive. Soul Society never discovered any evidence of any other survivors, did they?"

She shook her head. "No, they didn't. I'm just as stumped as you are."

Ichigo frowned, eyes moving downward. Almost immediately, his face illuminated into a light blush, and he averted his gaze. "Could you _please_ put some clothes on…?"

Yoruichi grinned, leaning forward and teasingly squishing her breasts together between her arms. "And what would you suggest I change into, hmm? It's not like I brought a spare change of clothing with me."

"Bullshit. I know you can conjure up an outfit whenever you want."

"I guess that's true."

"Well then…?"

"I don't want to. Seeing you react like this is much too amusing."

The orange-head groaned loudly, and Yoruichi let out a laugh.

However, a sudden knock at the door interrupted them. Ichigo's head snapped to the entrance of his room, before back over to Yoruichi. Rolling her eyes, she quickly engulfed herself in a cloud of smoke once more and returned to her feline form.

Just in time, too.

The door opened, and the butler from earlier entered the room. "Master Ichigo, we need to be- where did that little one come from?"

Yoruichi meowed innocently, jumping down to the floor. Doing her best to stay in proper character, she sauntered over to the butler and began to rub herself against his slacks. The older man chuckled gently, and reached down to scratch behind her ears.

Her eyes immediately rolled into the back of her head.

 _Oh gooooooood…._

Ichigo breathed out an audible sigh of relief. "Uh, sorry Walter. I have no idea where she came from. I just walked into my room and there she was, sleeping on my pillows."

"Well, she certainly is an affectionate little thing," Walter smiled, continuing his heavenly ministrations.

Yoruichi swore she would protect this man with her life.

"Do you think Integra will be mad?"

"I wouldn't imagine so, young Master. Sir Integra has always held a particular fondness for black cats. Besides, I'm sure it would be nice to have her around to take care of any pests and vermin we may have." Returning to an upright stance, Walter trained his eyes back on Ichigo. "Now then, we really best be going. It wouldn't do to be late to a meeting with the Queen."

With that, he turned away and left the room.

Ichigo moved to follow him, but not before fixing Yoruichi with a stern glare. _"Stay put."_

She hissed at him in response.

Rolling his eyes, he too exited the room and closed the door behind him.

Walking back over to the bed, Yoruichi jumped up on it and returned to her human form. Stretching out until she felt her back pop satisfyingly, she made herself comfortable and took in her new surroundings in greater detail. The decor of the room was fairly high-class, a far cry from the spartan nature of her old quarters back in Soul Society.

She could get used to this.

Her golden eyes trailed over to the door that undoubtedly led into the bathroom. A mischievous smile played across her lips.

Hmm… perhaps she'd draw herself a nice bubble bath?

* * *

 _(Buckingham Palace; One Hour Later)_

All eyes turned to them as they entered the conference room.

Any previous conversation halted immediately, and Ichigo couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable as the members of the Round Table unashamedly stared at him. Seras did her best to hide behind him, but Alucard strode ahead of them confidently without so much as a care in the world.

Pip meandered along at the very back of their group, evidently hoping to stay out of the spotlight.

Casting a glance at the left side of the table, which was situated in the very center of the long room, Ichigo curled his lip instinctively upon catching sight of Enrico Maxwell. He still had a _very_ low opinion of the man, as their only encounter thus far had ended with the Italian bastard outright insulting Integra and calling her a 'disgusting sow.' Even back then, when Ichigo hadn't really known his boss all that well, he'd still felt personally enraged at how easily Maxwell had berated her.

To hell with him.

His eyes left the silver-haired man, and focused instead on Integra, who was sitting at the far end of the table. Her hands were neatly folded on the wooden surface in front of her, and she gave him a nod of acknowledgment as their eyes met. He nodded back, before looking up at Walter, who was standing directly behind her. The older man offered him a kind smile, which Ichigo briefly returned before turning his attention to the elderly woman sitting several meters behind Integra. Her chair was a simple wooden one, but her status was emphasized by the raised platform which the chair itself was situated upon.

It didn't take a genius to realize he was looking at the Queen.

"Remove your glasses, Alucard," Integra spoke, pouting a finger at her own eyes for emphasis. "The Queen awaits your report."

The elder vampire did as he was told, plucking his orange spectacles off his nose. Storing them in his pocket, he slowly walked down the length of the room towards where the Queen was seated. His footsteps echoed loudly within the marble room, and his overcoat billowed slightly in a nonexistent wind. As he drew closer, two armed guards attempted to block his path and prevent him from moving any further. Ichigo winced as they were easily disposed of. Ascending the small flight of steps leading to Her Majesty's platform, Alucard finally came to a stop when he was standing directly in front of the old woman.

"It's been a long time, vampire," she spoke softly. "Come closer and let me look at you."

Grinning, Alucard dropped down to a single knee in a respectful bow. Much to Ichigo's surprise, the Queen actually reached out and held the vampire's face in her hands, as if greeting a long-lost friend.

"All these years, and yet you haven't aged a day," Elizabeth mused, tone alight with amusement. "And yet, look at me. The passage of time seems to have greatly favored one of us over the other. Can you believe how quickly I became a little old woman?"

"Nonsense, Your Highness," Alucard spoke, baritone voice thundering throughout the room. "I still see the same spirited young girl I met half a century ago. In fact, if I may be so bold, I personally believe that the years have only made you even _more_ beautiful."

"Hmm, you were always such a charmer…" the Queen chuckled. "Please proceed with your report, vampire."

Smoothly rising back into a stand, Alucard turned to face the collection of individuals gather at the conference table. "As you command, Your Majesty. Allow me to provide some insight as to our current situation… fifty-five years ago, a deranged Nazi Major attempted to breed a vampire army. Walter and I laid waste to their operation, but recent events have suggested that some of them refused to die during our initial purge…"

Ichigo leaned down towards Seras. "Walter fought alongside Alucard?"

She nodded. "Apparently, he and Master were quite the team back in the day."

If he picked up on their conversation, Alucard didn't give any outward indication of caring. "Millennium has returned. They've replenished their numbers, and are now preparing to complete their original objective. They truly _are_ the last battalion. This time, however, they seem to be receiving additional outside assistance. Would you care to explain, Ghost Boy?"

Ichigo's eyes widened, and within a matter of seconds every set of eyes in the room were fixed on him. Damn it all… he'd really hoped to avoid having to do any speaking. Swallowing audibly, he nodded. "U-Uh, based off of recent encounters the Hellsing Organization has had with Millennium agents, it looks like they're working with another group of supernaturally gifted individuals called Quincies."

One of the men seated at the table raised his hand. "I cannot say that we are familiar with these 'Quincies' you speak of, young man. Please elaborate."

"Well, I used to work for a place called the Soul Society. As far as the Japanese mythology is concerned, Soul Society is where you go after you die if your soul possesses absolutely no lingering feelings of malice or regret. However, if you _do_ die with any regrets, your soul twists and darkens, turning your spirit into what Soul Society calls a Hollow."

The members of the Round Table muttered amongst themselves, some speaking in horror while others merely looked fascinated by the idea. Ichigo wondered if this was the first they were hearing of concrete proof of the afterlife.

"I have heard of these creatures," Maxwell spoke up. "Hollows are the Japanese equivalents of demons and devils, are they not?"

The orange-head shrugged. "It's a little more complicated than that. Soul Society employs deceased individuals called Soul Reapers, or Shinigami, who go out into the World of the Living and purify Hollows. When a Hollow is purified, their soul gets cleansed, and they are allowed access into Soul Society."

"This is all very fascinating," a grey-haired man drawled. "But what does all of this have to do with Millennium and they Quincies? It all sounds a bit far-fetched, if you ask me."

"Bite your tongue, Sir Oswald," Queen Elizabeth spoke up.

Oswald paled, and stuttered out an apology. Ignoring him, the Queen motioned for Ichigo to continue with his explanation.

He nodded respectfully. "Unlike Soul Reapers, who are already deceased souls, Quincies are human beings who have been granted spiritual awareness and a very specific skillset of spiritual powers. Centuries ago, the Quincies attempted to completely exterminate every Hollow in existence. However, doing so inadvertently upset the balance of souls within the afterlife, which could potentially throw the world out of balance. Soul Society tried to warn the Quincies what they were doing, but they wouldn't listen. Given that they refused to stop eradicating Hollows, they themselves were eradicated by the Soul Reapers."

Maxwell hummed loudly, reaching up to stroke his chin. "Millennium and the Quincies… two organizations at the brink of extinction. It only makes sense that they would work together to obtain their revenge against those they believe have wronged them."

"We cannot be sure this is about revenge, though," Integra pointed out. "If we are to jump to any conclusion, then we must only do so after we have gathered enough proof and hard evidence."

"There's no need for that, silly!"

Ichigo's sword was pulled from its sheath.

Even Seras' _Harkonnen_ left its own case.

Everyone in the room collectively turned towards the main doors, where a small boy had suddenly appeared out of thin air. He wore a light tan uniform, and a band bearing Millennium's emblem was wrapped around his left arm. Curiously enough, a pair of feline ears also poked though his blond hair.

It wasn't the weirdest thing Ichigo had ever seen, but he still had no idea how the boy had managed to sneak in without even opening the doors.

"Please don't shoot me," the child laughed jovially, walking towards the table without so much as a care in the world. "I'm only the messenger. You wouldn't hurt someone who is unarmed, now would you?"

"Explain this," Integra said, lip curling in irritation.

Walter's eyes narrowed. "Forgive me, Miss. I have no idea how he managed to get past all of the security…"

The boy laughed, placing an ancient-looking monitor on the table. "Those silly guards are useless against me! I am both everywhere and nowhere. My name is Schrödinger."

"No one asked for your damn name, kid," Ichigo snarled, pointing his blade at the impish blond. "Why the hell are you here, and what the hell do you want?"

Schrödinger pouted, sticking out his lower lip childishly. "There's no need to be so rude, Ichigo Kurosaki. You really are as bone-headed as the Major said you would be, aren't you?"

"What do you-"

"It doesn't matter!" the cat boy proclaimed, fishing into his uniform pocket and withdrawing a remote control. "To the gathered representatives of Great Britain and the Vatican, my commanding officer, the _glorious_ Major, has a message for you! Please listen carefully." Pressing the only button on his handheld, Schrödinger aimed the device at the television set. The monitor gave off a shower of static, but no image appeared on the actual screen.

" _Hello? Schrödinger? What is going on? There's no picture!"_

The blond boy fumbled with the remote for a moment, before once again aiming it at the monitor and pressing the button. The screen blinked to life, and the image of a portly man dressed in a bone-white suit quickly appeared.

" _Ah! There you are!"_

Ichigo immediately felt bile rise up in his throat.

"Dear God…" Pip muttered behind him.

The scene behind the man on the screen looked like something out of a nightmare. Blood and gore painted the walls, coating everything a deep shade of red. Body parts littered every available amount of space, and the distinct sound of screaming could be heard in the background.

Interga's eyes narrowed.

Even Maxwell scoffed in disgust at the offensive sight.

"Oh, my goodness, Major!" Schrödinger laughed. "It certainly looks like you've got your hands full over there."

" _Not at all! Things are going quite well; in fact, it feels as though an enormous weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I'm feeling great!"_

"Hello Major," Alucard grinned, walking closer to the monitor.

" _Alucard! So good to see you again, my old friend! It really has been far too long, hasn't it?"_

The vampire merely chuckled in response.

From her seat, Intgera slammed an enclosed fist down on the table. "What is it that you want?"

" _Ah! I cannot believe that I am finally face-to-face with the Fräulein herself. Sir Integra Hellsing,"_ the Major said mockingly, sweeping an arm over his chest and bowing extravagantly. _"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear."_

The aforementioned blonde ignored him in favor of pursuing her original question. "What is the purpose of all this? What are you lot trying to accomplish? Answer me!"

" _Well, to put it in the simplest of terms, our purpose is the total absence of purpose. You should be aware, Fräulein, that there are certain irredeemable people in this world who hold no care for an end goal, or a grand finale. People such as myself, in fact! For me, the means does not always require an end. Surely, you understand?"_

"You're insane," Maxwell sneered in disgust. "The whole forsaken lot of you."

" _Did I really just hear someone from Iscariot questioning MY sanity? Let me ask you this… if your God would allow my madness to flourish across the globe, then wouldn't it seem to you that any god like that would be just as mad as I?"_

The silver-haired Italian man rose to his feet, a furious snarl stretching across his features. "How dare you!"

" _How dare I?"_ the Major parroted mockingly. _"I dare, because I have actually managed to SPEAK with my god. Can you say the same, holy man? Regardless, we are the finest members of the Third Reich. Do you have any idea how many people we've killed over the past fifty years? You are nothing but a pesky fly on the wall to the likes of us."_

"You won't be killing any more!" Ichigo shouted. His blood was boiling, and he was itching for the chance to wipe the disgusting smirk off of the Major's fat little face. To his shock, the German man actually clapped happily at his outburst, and turned his sickly-yellow eyes in his direction.

" _Do my ears deceive me? Is that young Ichigo Kurosaki I hear? It is! The lost little lamb who needs to be guided back home. Worry not, my boy; His Majesty has plans for you."_

The orange-head opened his mouth to voice a retort, but Alucard beat him to it.

"Who exactly _is_ His Majesty, Major?" the elder vampire questioned, tone laced with unbridled amusement. "Last time I decimated your ranks, I never heard any mention of you taking orders from a superior officer. We both know that your allegiance to the Führer was nothing but a farce."

" _Of course it was,"_ the portly man admitted with a careless shrug. " _But why should I tell you anything about His Majesty, hmm? That would take all of the fun out of the game! I want you to play with me, and you won't do that if you already know everything, will you? However, if you must know something, then I suppose it couldn't hurt to tell you that His Majesty came to us in our hour of need. He picked us up off the ground, and provided us with the means to reignite our initial passion. We are simply in the process of repaying him for his kindness. He is our god, after all."_

"Your god will burn, monster!" Maxwell snarled. "There is only one _true_ God, and that is our Lord in Heaven!"

" _Did you just call me a monster, dear Enrico?"_ the Major laughed. " _The only monster I see is the one standing among you all, dressed in red. That is why I will end up being the hero of this tale, you know. For in the end, I will be the one to slay that monster. That is why Britain is my enemy. That is why Hellsing is my enemy. Because the lot of you harbor the devil himself, and use him as your personal attack dog. He will bite you back eventually, but you refuse to acknowledge that. This is why I must put him down for you."_

Alucard cackled maniacally, reaching up to hold his sides. "So, it's declaration of war is it? Excellent! I can't wait to destroy you again!"

The Major chuckled, shaking his head as if preparing to lecture a small misbehaving child. _"You simply do not understand, do you? No matter what you do, you cannot emerge victorious from this. His Majesty has already determined that your demise is needed in order for his plans to reach fruition. There is quite literally nothing you can do to change that."_

"Ichigo. Alucard. _Kill him,"_ Integra commanded coldly.

In an instant, the Hellsing vampire withdrew the _Jackal_ from his overcoat, forced it into Schrödinger's mouth, and pulled the trigger. The young boy's head quite literally exploded, sending chunks of brain matter and skull fragments everywhere. His body twitched violently as it fell to the floor, where it continued to bleed profusely on the marble surface.

" _Fine. Shoot the messenger if it will make you feel better,"_ the Major grinned sadistically, raising a hand in farewell. " _Auf Wiedersehen, meine Fräulein. I look forward to meeting you all across the battlefield… especially YOU, young Soul Reaper."_

Ichigo scowled, leaping forward and carving through the television monitor with _Manus'_ blade. The piece of machinery fell neatly into two pieces, before shattering completely as it fell to the hard, unforgiving floor. Standing up straight and sheathing his sword, the orange-head stole a glance over towards Schrödinger's corpse. However, much to his shock, the young boy's body had completely disappeared.

Everyone else in the room apparently noticed this as well, and those gathered at the table reacted in varying degrees of shock and disbelief.

Integra's eyes widened.

Maxwell's jaw fell open.

One of the members of the Round Table even outright fainted, toppling over backwards in his chair.

Silence completely enveloped the room, and it was only after a few minutes that the lapse in conversation was broken by the Queen herself. "Alucard. Sir Hellsing…"

The crimson-clad vampire turned his attention towards Elizabeth, and Integra respectfully stood from her chair to give the monarch her undivided attention.

The Queen continued without missing a beat. "Destroy them all. Leave no trace. I do not want them to have another opportunity to skulk away and rebuild their forces. Do I make myself clear?"

Integra bowed reverently, as did Alucard. Walter did the same, and Seras hurriedly motioned for Ichigo to follow suit.

"Of course, Your Majesty," the head of the Hellsing family replied. "We shall wipe them from existence."

* * *

 _(Hellsing Manor; Three Hours Later)_

It had been a very long day…

The feeling of adrenaline exiting his body left him extra drained, and Ichigo groaned as he waked down the hallway that led to his room. The events that had unfolded during the Round Table conference were incredibly disturbing, and the Major's mocking laughter still echoed within his mind. The pudgy little man was nowhere as threatening as Aizen had been, but Ichigo wouldn't be surprised if they were equally intelligent and manipulative.

The entire time he'd spoke, the Major had possessed a crafty gleam in his amber eyes that sent a chill down the orange-head's spine.

Finally reaching his destination, Ichigo pulled the door open and stepped into the room. The first thing he noticed was that a nest appeared to have been made out of his pillows and sheets. The drawers of his cabinets were also pulled open, making it plainly obvious that a certain someone had seen fit to riffle through his personal belongings while he'd been away.

His brow twitched.

Any cat owner could tell you that their feline companions wholeheartedly believed they owned everything within sight, and it seemed as though that mindset also extended to individuals who could transform _into_ cats. Either that, or Yoruichi just didn't give a shit about his privacy. He'd be willing to believe either option. Either way, he was much too tired to care at this point; all he wanted to do was fall asleep.

Dragging his feet as he walked over to his bed, Ichigo flopped down face-first into the pile of pillows and closed his eyes. Much to his annoyance, his bathroom door creaked open loudly as soon as he made himself comfortable. Turning his head in the direction of the offensive noise, he prepared to give his new roommate a piece of his mind. However, as soon as he laid eyes on her, the harsh words died a terrible death in his throat…

"It's impolite to stare, you know," Yoruichi teased playfully, toweling her dark purple hair dry.

Water droplets clung to her nude form, and several individual strands of her long, flowing hair clung tightly to her wet skin. Ichigo swallowed thickly, and suddenly wished he could slip past her and take a freezing cold shower.

He loved Sayo with all his heart, and he would never betray her, but there was still no denying that Yoruichi Shihouin was an incredibly beautiful woman. It was a simple fact of life, just like how the sky was blue and grass was green. Turning away from the naked woman standing in his room, Ichigo grumbled under his breath and faced the opposite wall.

"Why do you keep doing this?"

"Doing what?" the ebony woman asked innocently, continuing with the process of drying herself off. "I just finished taking an extremely relaxing bath; I can't help it that you decided to return as soon as I was done. It was simply a coincidence."

"Right… and Yamamoto is secretly a woman."

"Sarcasm is only attractive when _I_ do it, my darling student."

"Will you please just put on some clothes?!"

Sighing in resignation, the Flash Goddess snapped her fingers and conjured up her usual orange and black outfit. "There, you can look now. Oh, who am I kidding? You've been peeking at me this entire time, haven't you?"

Ichigo groaned loudly.

"I knew it."

"Whatever," the orange-head growled, sitting up and turning back to face her properly. "I take it that you didn't get into too much trouble while I was gone?"

Yoruichi placed a hand over her chest in mock-offense. "Why, Ichigo! Do you dare to suggest that I would do anything untoward when you specifically requested that I behave? For shame, young man."

He leveled her with an extremely flat look.

"Gosh, you're no fun at all. _Yes,_ I was on my best behavior. Though, I must admit that I was tempted to misbehave a little, just so you could punish me. I could use a nice spanking."

"What did I do to deserve this…?" Ichigo groaned again, allowing his face to fall into his hands.

"Oh please, honey," Yoruichi snickered. "You're lucky to-"

Suddenly, and without any warning whatsoever, the Flash Goddess let out a startled cry and collapsed to her knees, cradling her skull. Ichigo was at her side in an instant, expelling their previous topic of conversation from his mind. "What the hell?! Are you okay?"

Sweat dripped down Yoruichi's body, and her entire frame trembled violently. Her golden eyes were wide, and she looked absolutely terrified. "Y-You didn't feel that?"

"Feel what…?"

"The absolutely monstrous energy surge that just flared somewhere within the Manor," she replied, reaching up to tightly grip the fabric of his jacket. "I… no, it can't be…"

"What?" Ichigo said, gently shaking her. "Who is it?"

A knock suddenly sounded from his bedroom door, making him jump in slight surprise. Blinking several times, the former Substitute regained his bearings and turned to face the door. "Just a second!" He then turned back towards Yoruichi. "Hey, I need you to turn into a cat. We can't let anyone see your real form."

She nodded silently, eyes possessing a faraway look to them. In a puff of smoke, her human body was replaced with that of a black feline. Not willing to leave her alone in such a worrisome state, Ichigo scooped her up in his arms before standing up to go and answer the door. Walter's smiling face greeted him on the other side, but it was immediately apparent that the old butler's expression was somewhat forced.

His face was unnaturally pale, and beads of sweat clung to his face.

"Walter? Are you okay?"

"Yes, young Master. I am well."

"Are ya sure…?"

"Quite so. If you don't mind, I would like you to come with me. Sir Intgera has requested your presence in her office."

Sparing a glance down at Yoruichi, who merely remained silent, Ichigo nodded and began following the Hellsing family retainer through the halls. By this point, he knew the way to Integra's office like the back of his hand, but there was something about the situation that told him it would be good to have company this time around. Before too long, the trio reached their destination, and Walter stepped forward to open the double doors leading into the study.

"Good luck, Ichigo," the older man said.

The orange-head immediately recognized that Walter had referred to him by his actual given name instead of 'Sir' or 'Young Master,' which in itself was rather odd. He couldn't even remember the last time the butler had called him by name instead of by a professional title.

"Walter, is everything okay?"

"I'm… not quite sure."

He wanted to ask more questions, but Ichigo reluctantly acknowledged that doing so would only waste Intgera's time. And, judging by Walter's strange behavior, something rather serious was going on. Sucking in a deep breath, he allowed Yoruichi to climb up onto his shoulders as he entered the office.

The first thing to assault his vision was a bright shade of crimson.

Integra was sat in her usual place behind her desk, and much to Ichigo's shock, even _she_ looked mildly uncomfortable. It wouldn't appear that way to the untrained eye, but he could plainly see the way her crystalline blue eyes trembled slightly. Scowling, the orange-head turned his attention to the red-haired man who was sitting in front of the desk with his back to the door.

"Who the hell are you?" the former Substitute bit out.

" _Ichigo!"_ Integra snapped harshly, making him recoil in surprise. "I expect you to show the proper level of respect when greeting a stranger!"

"No, it's fine, Miss Hellsing," the redheaded man chuckled, standing up and turning to face the doorway where Ichigo stood. "It's perfectly understandable that he would be somewhat hostile. Everyone is on edge, after all, and it doesn't take a genius to determine that my presence is the cause of such discomfort."

"I assure you that is not-"

"Please do not lie to me, Intgera."

The blonde woman's mouth immediately snapped shut.

The red-haired man nodded, seemingly pleased, and walked across the room towards Ichigo. The orange-head himself took the opportunity to appraise the stranger's appearance. He was dressed in a sharp black suit, which itself covered a pristine white undershirt. His tie matched the color of his hair, right down to the very shade, and his eyes were a piercing blue-green. His hair itself was actually quite long, and reached down to _at least_ his mid-back.

As the man finally came to a stop in front of him, he stuck out a hand. "Hello again, Ichigo. It really has been far too long since I last saw you… I was so devastated to hear about the death of your mother. You have my sincerest condolences."

"Uh, thanks. Who are you, exactly?"

The stranger chuckled. "It's no surprise that you don't remember me. After all, the last time I saw you, you barely came up to my knee."

Behind her desk, Intgera stood up as well. "Ichigo, this is Lord Sirzechs Lucifer; son of Lord Zeoticus and Lady Venelana Gremory, and one of the Four Great Satans of Hell. He is the Lord of Destruction, and the current King of the Underworld. Additionally, he serves as one of three main figureheads of what is referred to as the Biblical Faction."

Ichigo paled.

Had he really just mouthed off to the Devil himself…?

He'd done a lot of stupid things during his life, but this definitely took the cake.

He quickly shook Sirzech's outstretched hand.

The red-haired man laughed jovially. "Oh relax, will you? I'm not here to interfere in your business or lay waste to Europe, so you can remove those worries from your mind. I'm only here for you, Ichigo."

"M-Me?!"

From his shoulder, Yoruichi finally seemed to get ahold of herself. "It's been sixteen years, Sirzechs. Why only just now come to see the boy after all that time?"

Integra choked. "Did that cat just talk…?"

Sirzechs merely chuckled, and reached up to run a hand through his hair in what seemed like a small bit of actual embarrassment. "Well, truth be told, political changes prevented me visiting Karakura Town for quite some time, despite my status as one of the Four. I wish it hadn't turned out that way, but now that Ichigo is currently inhabiting territory that belongs to the Biblical Faction, I can come up and interact with him as much as I want. Oh, and it's good to see you too, Flash Goddess."

She nodded, seemingly content with his reasoning. "My question still remains, though. Why come to visit now, of all times?"

"Well, I wanted to wait until he had enough of his own Spirit Energy to survive a trip to Hell. It wouldn't take much effort on my part to cast a protective spell, but it usually helps if someone possess enough power on their own to shield themselves. Protection spells are usually only utilized as an extra preventive measure to keep someone from being crushed by the maelstrom of chaotic energy within the Pit."

Ichigo's left brow rose in incredulity. "Why the heck would I ever agree to go to Hell of my own free will…? Isn't the place covered with fire and brimstone?"

Sirzechs grinned. "Actually, it's quite nice if you stay within the populated areas. Contrary to popular belief, Hell has many of the same environments that can be found within the Living World. We have forests, mountains, cities, and even quite a few lovely beaches. In fact, my wife and I spent our last anniversary at a place called 'Lilith's Hotel and Spa,' which is a very popular romantic beach resort for couples. And let me tell you, we sure had a fun time…"

Ichigo made a face.

He _really_ didn't need to imagine what kind of weird sex the Devil was having with his wife…

Either way, even _if_ Hell was more like the human world than he'd initially believed, he still didn't have enough of a reason to actually go there. Sure, Sirzechs could likely force him if it came to that, but he sincerely doubted it would. Despite his title, the redheaded man actually seemed like a fairly decent guy.

"That still doesn't give me a good reason why I should agree to go. Besides, I have things I need to take care of here," he said, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jacket.

Sirzechs smiled. "Ichigo, I sincerely doubt your presence will affect the Hellsing Organization too much. No offense, but as of right now, you are still nothing but an ordinary human with a bit of above average spiritual awareness. If you come with me, there will still be two very powerful vampires here who will undoubtedly be able to handle anything that is thrown at them."

Ichigo scowled, more than a little upset that he'd essentially just been called useless.

"It's alright, Ichigo," Integra suddenly spoke up, still standing by her desk. "It would be unwise of you to refuse a request from the King of Destruction himself. Besides, he's right; Alucard and Seras will likely be more than enough to combat the likes of Millennium in your absence."

"Why though?" the orange-head asked, posing the question to Sirzechs. "Why the hell are you so damn interested in me in the first place? What am I to someone like you?"

The green-eyed man's lips pulled up into a giddy smile.

"Now, Ichigo. Is that any way to talk to your godfather…?"

* * *

 **You know what really sucks?**

 **I planned on having the entirety of my Christmas/holiday break all to myself, but my workplace called in the other day and said they needed me to come in because a bunch of other people were unwilling to work. Don't get me wrong, I love having a source of income, but it's REALLY frustrating to have to cover for a bunch of coworkers. Especially when, like I said, I hadn't planned on working at all over the break.**

 **Anyway, once again, I am really sorry for how long I've been away. School came along, and unexpectedly took up more of my time than I'd anticipated. Hopefully, when the next semester rolls around, I'll be able to have more free time that I can devote to writing these stories.**

 **So, let's review what happened in this chapter:**

 **1\. Isshin sent Yoruichi to keep an eye on Ichigo until more of his powers return.**

 **2\. The Major sent Schrödinger to deliver the message to the Round Table conference.**

 **3\. Sirzechs came to Hellsing Manor, and it is revealed that he is Ichigo's godfather. It is not mentioned, but this also obviously makes Grayfia his godmother. Or devilmother, if you want to get technical. Lol.**

 **If you recall the omake from the previous chapter, I implied that Isshin and Masaki had a very good relationship with the Crimson Satan and his wife in the past. Still, it was never mentioned previously that Ichigo knew who Sirzechs was, which is because political issues within the multiple Factions prevented him from visiting Japan. For the better half of Ichigo's childhood, Japan has been the sole territory the Shinto Faction.**

 **Now you all know why this is called the** _ **Family Ties Arc.**_

 **Don't worry, I still plan on giving the actual plot of Hellsing plenty of attention. I know some people were irritated with how I temporarily ignored the Hellsing storyline in favor of my** _ **Triage X Arc,**_ **but I promise to divide things up equally between the canon story and my own original idea. In fact, the only way for this Arc to work is if I do so, considering everything will be leading up to the Battle of London. Trust me, you'll see what I mean. Everything will be fine.**

 **Besides, you all want to see Ichigo get his powers back, right? That will only happen if I follow the plot line I have planned out.**

 **Again, sorry for how long I've been away. Thank you for your patience.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _Omake_

* * *

 _(Karakura Town; Sixteen years ago)_

"I really don't think this is necessary, My Lady."

Amaterasu, in the guise of an ordinary Japanese woman, sighed forcefully and fixed him with an irritated glare. "How many times must We say it, Lord Lucifer? We are closing off Our borders for the foreseeable future, which means you will no longer be granted legal access to Karakura Town."

Sirzechs bit his lip, doing his best to reign in the growing anger welling up inside of him. He knew what this was all about, even if he couldn't say it out loud. The Lady of the Sun was jealous. Jealous of the fact that he and Grayfia had been spending so much time with Her beloved grandchild recently. Elder gods were restricted in how much time they were allowed on Earth, but no such restrictions applied to a Devil such as himself.

Allowing his irritation to leave his body in the form of a heavy sigh, the Crimson Satan leaned back against the park bench they were sitting on. "You do realize that _I_ am his family too, correct? What you are doing is selfish and unfair."

In the sky above, the sun's heat grew in intensity.

"Do you truly intend to lecture Us on what is fair, Devil? Your kind lies, cheats, and steals like it is a simple part of life. You will have to forgive Us if We do not want young Ichigo to be exposed to that type of environment."

"So that's it, then? You're really willing to change entire _laws_ to keep me from visiting my godson?"

"We are. And if it means protecting him from corruption, We are also willing to do much more."

"Is that a threat?" Sirzechs inquired, raising a brow.

"Not at all," Amaterasu replied, shaking her head. "We are simply letting you know how far We are willing to go to protect Our grandson. We are more than well aware that you can feel it too; how powerful he will become once he comes of age."

The red-haired Devil grunted, nodding in confirmation. "Is that partly why you're doing this as well? To ensure he joins the forces of Soul Society once he's old enough?"

"Do not claim for a single moment that you would not do the same, Lord Lucifer…"

"Hnn… you've got me there. Still, I think you might be taking this a bit too far. Will you at least let me come and visit him if I swear not to interfere with his life choices?"

The Lady of the Sun hummed quietly, watching as a group of children chasing after a ball ran by. "We will _consider_ it. However, you once told Us that the word of a Devil cannot always be trusted. Do you deny it?"

"I don't. But I would still appreciate it if you didn't insinuate that I am a liar."

"Apologies. It must have been a slip of the tongue."

Sirzechs actively fought the urge to roll his eyes. Amaterasu was many things, but she very rarely misspoke; if she felt like something was worth saying, then she would say it regardless of whether or not it would offend someone within earshot. She wasn't arrogant by any means, but she obviously knew she was far more powerful than the people she typically surrounded herself with. Even he, with all of his Demonic Power, would likely only be able to rough her up just a bit if they came to blows. In the end, though, he had no doubts that she would be victorious in such a battle.

Standing up, the redheaded Devil brushed off his jacket and turned slightly to look down at her. "Well, My Lady, if your mind is made up, then I doubt there is very little I can say to change your decision. Either way, I should probably be getting back home. Grayfia is making manticore steak for dinner, after all."

Turning away, he raised a hand and prepared to conjure up a teleportation circle.

"Lord Lucifer…"

He paused.

Amaterasu sighed. "The new law does not go into effect until the end of the week. Until that time comes, you have Our full permission to visit young Ichigo and his family as much as you like."

Sirzechs withheld a snort. Four days wasn't a very long time. Still, he was more than willing to take whatever he could get at this point. "Thank you, My Lady."

With a flick of his left hand, a teleportation circle materialized on the ground below him. Glowing bright red and decorated with archaic runes, it pulsated with power for a brief moment before engulfing him in a vortex of Demonic Energy.

Within a matter of seconds, he was gone.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Castle on the Hill

* * *

 **Hello everyone.**

 **So, in a pretty recent review I received for the last chapter, someone asked me if I'd ever thought about including the 'Beyond Resurrección' forms the Espada apparently have in the game "Bleach: Brave Souls." I'll be the first to admit that I've never actually played the game before, but it really wasn't hard to do a quick Google search.**

 **All I have to say is… HOLY SHIT! The transformations for Grimmjow and Nelliel look absolutely INSANE; I love the designs and color palettes so goddamn much. However, I do have a question, and please forgive me if this sounds dumb. Are these 'Beyond Resurrección' transformations basically the same thing as Ulquiorra's Segunda Etapa? If so, then that could actually work with what I already have planned. Grimmjow and Nelliel WILL appear later on in this story, so this concept isn't beyond the realm of possibility.**

 **However, let me go ahead and say that despite the fact that I like this suggestion, I won't always take personal requests like this to heart. I know you guys may want to see certain things happen, but I already have a very concrete storyline in mind, and I don't plan on deviating from it. Some things may happen in this story that you absolutely love, but there could very possibly be other decisions I may make that you might hate with a burning passion.**

 **Now then, onto another review topic that I've been receiving in spades.**

 **A lot of people have been asking me whether or not the events of "** _ **Bleach: Hell Verse"**_ **are canon to this story. Many of you have pointed out that the movie is generally considered part of the main series' continuity, and I understand your confusion as to why I made no mention of it last chapter. Let's just say that any lingering confusion will most likely be cleared up in this new chapter.**

 **I apologize for taking so long with this chapter, but college has demanded most of my attention. Then the whole coronavirus thing happened, and I was paying a lot of attention to the news. I think most of us will be perfectly fine, but just as a public service announcement, please remember to wash your hands thoroughly and properly. And just be hygienic in general.**

 **Happy reading!**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _(Hellsing Manor; London England)_

Ichigo blinked.

Then did so again.

And then once more for good measure.

"My, _what_ …?"

Sirzechs chuckled, stepping forward to jovially wrap an arm around his shoulders. "Is it really so hard to believe? Your father and I have been friends for a good many years, since well before he even met your mother. When you were born, he asked if my wife and I wished to be your godparents, and we accepted. And yes, I am fully aware of how ironic that title is given my current position."

Ichigo stared ahead blankly, idly registering what he was told. His thoughts were an absolute blur, and it felt as if Kenpachi and Grimmjow were doing their best to beat the shit out of each other inside his brain.

At this point in his life, he'd come to believe that there were very few things in the world that could truly throw him for a loop. He'd fought false gods, clashed with soul-hungry monsters, and encountered beings whose very existence spat in the face of everything he thought he knew prior to obtaining his powers. Seras and Alucard were two such beings. However, even after everything he'd dealt with in the past, nothing could have properly prepared him for what he was currently faced with.

The devil was his godfather…

Even thinking about it caused his legs to go numb.

In any other circumstance, he might have questioned whether or not Sirzechs was actually telling him the truth. But, knowing his dad like he did, asking Satan and his wife to be his godparents sounded exactly like something the old goat would do.

Ichigo's brow twitched as a vision of a cackling Isshin briefly floated before his eyes.

"Hey, you okay there, kid?"

Blinking, the orange-head turned towards Sirzechs, who was looking down at him with visible concern in his eyes. Heh… the Devil was worried about him. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just processing everything, I guess."

"Hm. That's understandable. Please forgive me if I revealed everything to you too quickly. It wasn't my intent to overload you…"

"Nah, its fine. I should be used to having world-shattering bombshells dropped in my lap by now."

Sirzechs cracked a smile at that, before actually letting out a laugh and slapping his hand against Ichigo's back. The force behind the blow, obviously unintended, sent the orange-head tumbling face-first into the floor. Yoruichi gracefully leapt from his shoulders and onto Integra's desk, while Ichigo himself smashed his nose into the carpet in quite an undignified manner.

"Ow…"

"Are you alright?" Integra asked from behind her desk. Her tone conveyed slight worry, but irritatingly enough, she still made no move to help him up.

"Yeah, I'm just peachy…" the former Substitute griped, gingerly pushing himself back up to his hands and knees. There was no doubt in his mind that a dark bruise would be forming between his shoulder blades in the near future. Sirzechs was strong. _Crazy_ strong. And yet, it was painfully obvious that the red-haired man hadn't even meant to exert so much force. How powerful was he when he was actually _trying_?

A hand suddenly gripped the back of Ichigo's jacket, disrupting his thoughts, and forcefully yanked him back up into a standing position. The orange-head's vision swam with spots for a moment, but when his stability returned, he found his godfather brushing him off casually.

"Sorry about that," Sirzechs grinned lopsidedly. "Sometimes I forget my own strength. You have no idea how tedious it can be to treat the world around you like everything is made from wet cardboard. I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, I've been hit way harder than that before. But, if you don't mind me asking, can we get back to the conversation at hand?"

From Integra's desk, Yoruichi finally spoke back up. "I would like to do so as well."

Sirzechs nodded, and his blue-green eyes immediately gained a far more serious edge. "Right, of course. Well, as I mentioned previously, I would like for you to accompany me to the Underworld. This may come as a surprise to you, but there are very few things in this world that I value more than family. I love my wife more than life itself. I also love my mother, father, son, and younger sister; they are the center of my entire existence. I know we haven't had any prior interaction that you can vividly remember, but I truly value you as a member of my family as well. When Amaterasu forbade me from visiting you and your sisters…"

The red-haired devil's fists clenched, and the office was suddenly engulfed in a small cloud of foreboding energy. Small specks of paint peeled from the walls, and the carpet underneath Sirzechs' feet began to smoke and burn.

Ichigo began to feel sick to his stomach, and he heard Integra audibly retch behind him. Casting a look at Yoruichi, he immediately noticed her muscles were tensed in a visible effort to remain upright.

Thankfully, as soon as the oppressive aura appeared, it evaporated into thin air. Sirzechs released a low breath, and raised his eyes apologetically. "Forgive me… but just the thought of it still riles me up to this day. Anyway, I would simply like an opportunity to catch up. You're a young man in your own right now, and you are more than capable of making your own decisions. I know Amaterasu will be upset when she learns of our interaction, but it is not her place to dictate your life as she has thus far."

Ichigo's eyes immediately narrowed. "What do you mean?"

"You… you didn't know? She is the reason why you were kept in the dark about the existence of the larger supernatural world outside of Soul Society. She wanted to prevent you from potentially forging new ties and deciding to align yourself with another Faction outside of the Shinto religion. Did you not tell him about this, Flash Goddess?"

"I wasn't even aware of such a thing," Yoruichi replied, shaking her small, feline head. "Kisuke and I haven't been exactly privy to what goes on within the Soul Society as of the past few decades. Central Forty-Six made sure all ties we had with the Gotei Thirteen were severed, and all classified information was kept out of our reach. If I had to venture a guess, though, I'd say only Yamamtoto himself was aware of Amaterasu's plans."

Ichigo's lips pulled up into a scowl, and he opened his mouth.

However, Sirzechs raised a hand to give him pause. "Please understand… Her Ladyship _does_ love you in Her own odd way, Ichigo. You are a member of Her royal family, and just like me, all She has ever wanted to do is protect you. Even so, it is widely known in the supernatural world that Amaterasu is _highly_ possessive of everything within Her kingdom, and that certainly includes her people."

"Are you trying to defend Her?"

"Not at all. What She did was unforgivable, and She should have never tried to control your life. But, thinking that they are always in control is the ultimate folly of many gods. All I am trying to say is that I understand why She did what She did."

Ichigo's scowl dropped into a soft frown, and he cast his down at the carpet under his feet. His eyes traced the patterns of the fabric, and he slowly allowed his frustration and anger to seep out of his body. The fact that Amaterasu, who had seemed so kind during their first meeting, had been dictating how he lived his life for the past eighteen years infuriated him to no end. Still, it wasn't healthy to hold on to such anger. And besides, seeing as how no one in the direct area was responsible for said anger, it wouldn't do any good to lash out.

However, if he ever saw the Lady of the Sun again, Ichigo made a promise to give Her a piece of his mind.

In the meantime, though, he supposed it couldn't hurt to be just a little petty. As Sirzerchs had previously said, he was a grown man now, and he had every right to make his own choices. Raising his gaze back up to face the red-haired devil, the former Substitute arched a brow. "You said you wanted me to come to Hell with you…?"

Sirzechs' eyes widened, and a hopeful smile stretched across his face. "That's right."

"How long would we be gone?"

"Not very long; only a few days at the most. All I want is to do a little catching up, and have you meet the rest of my family. We have all followed your exploits as a Soul Reaper with great interest. I wouldn't even be surprised if my son decided to ask you about an autograph."

Momentarily forgetting his decreasing irritation, Ichigo blinked in slight surprise. Were his adventures as a Substitute Soul Reaper really so widely known outside of the Soul Society?

Apparently seeing the look of shock on his face, Sirzechs let out yet another laugh. "Oh yes, Ichigo. You are something of a celebrity within the Underworld, and in the larger supernatural world at that. Your victory against Sosuke Aizen eased the fears of quite a few politicians all over the globe, just so you know. If that madman's goals had been achieved, Soul Society wouldn't have been the only affected realm."

He'd… never really thought about that, quite honestly.

It made sense though; if Aizen had been successful in fully merging with the Hōgyoku without anyone to oppose him, his strength you have become comparable to that of the Soul King himself. Not even Captain Commander Yamamoto would have been able to stop him then, and the old geezer was one of the most powerful people Ichigo had ever met.

He was glad that his efforts against Aizen were so widely appreciated, but he didn't know how comfortable he was with the idea of being a celebrity. He'd watched television, and he _definitely_ didn't want a group of ravenous fans following him everywhere he went.

Shuddering at the thought of it, Ichigo shook his head and turned back to look Sirzechs in the eye. "Okay, I'll go with you. But you have to promise that we won't be gone for more than a few days. I don't want to leave my friends to deal with Millennium all on their own longer than I have to."

Sirzechs waved a hand through the air dismissively. "Bah, don't worry about that. I swear on the Pit itself that I'll have you back in at least three days. Just so you know, though, I could always just teleport you back with a magic circle if something truly serious came up. It isn't even that hard."

"Fine. Let's get going."

"Hold on just a moment," Yoruichi said, rising to her feet. "If you think for one moment that I'm going to allow you to go down to Hell all by yourself, then you're an even bigger fool than I originally thought. I'll be coming with you."

"I don't need a babysitter," Ichigo scowled.

The Flash Goddess smirked, tail twitching in unbridled amusement. "That isn't what your father told me. In case you've already forgotten, I was sent here to keep an eye on you. I intend to do so to the best of my ability, no matter where you go. So, go ahead and suck it up and wipe that sour look off your face."

Ichigo's scowl deepened, and his ears turned red when Sirzechs laughed unashamedly at the exchange. Without another word, Yoruichi jumped back up to rest on his shoulders, where she made herself comfortable.

To the side, Sirzechs ceased his chuckling and waved a hand through the air. A glowing red circle, decorated with archaic runes, appeared on the floor directly beneath the blue-eyed devil's feet. Offering a hand, Sirzechs nodded. "Alright then, we best be off. Grayfia will likely be wondering where I've run off to about now, and I don't want to piss her off any more than she probably already is."

Ichigo took the older man's hand, before sparing a quick glance back at Integra. "I'll be back before you know it. Give me a call if anything comes up."

The platinum blonde nodded, smiling faintly and she leaned her weight against her desk. "Of course. Safe travels, Ichigo."

He grinned back.

In the next instant, he, Yoruichi, and Sirzechs disappeared in a vortex of crimson energy.

* * *

 _(The Underworld; Gremory Territory)_

Ichigo let out a gasp as soon as his feet reconnected with solid ground.

Falling to his knees, the orange-head allowed a stream of bile to erupt from his mouth and onto the dirt below him. Yoruichi yowled in disgust, leaping from his shoulders and onto Sirzechs'.

"Oh, I probably should have warned you about that…" the red-haired devil winced, taking a step back as Ichigo continued to heave violently. "Teleportation magic takes a little time to get used to. You'll stop getting sick after the third or fourth time, I promise."

"Ugh…"

"Cheer up, Ichigo. We're here, after all."

Wiping away the vomit dripping from his chin, the former Substitute raised his eyes to observe their new environment. A dark forest surrounded the trio on all sides, but a clear path through the trees stretched out in front of them. Turning his head skyward, Ichigo blinked upon noticing that the sky itself was a deep shade of purplish-red.

Yeah, they definitely weren't in the Living World anymore…

"Where exactly _is_ here?" he inquired, shakily rising to his feet to properly address his host.

Sirzechs cast a fond glance down the path leading into the forest. "At the moment, we are in the forest that surrounds my personal estate. I could have simply teleported us into the main house, but walking there should provide us with a bit of time to go over the remaining questions you undoubtedly have. You don't mind, do you?"

"No. There _are_ a few more things I want to ask you."

"Good." Reaching up, Sirzechs gently scratched Yoruichi under her chin. The former Captain immediately started up a chainsaw-like purr. "Shall we be on our way, then? You can go ahead and start asking questions if you like."

Following the older man down the path, Ichigo stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jacket. There was still a faint sickly feeling swirling around in his gut, but thankfully it was fading away with each passing second. "Okay, answer me this. If the Underworld isn't as bad as all of the myths and religious texts claim, then why don't you do anything to change that reputation?"

"Because the opinions of humans in regards to the appearance of my homeland is inconsequential. They can believe whatever they like; their opinions don't affect me or any of my kin in the slightest. However, I will readily admit that there are several places down here that _are_ in fact just as desolate and fiery as the Bible describes. You've been to one of them, in fact."

Ichigo nearly tripped. "What? You _can't_ be serious… I think I would have remembered if I'd been here before."

Sirzechs cast a glance at him over his shoulder, grinning wryly. "You would think so, wouldn't you? Contrary to what you may think or believe, you _have_ in fact been down in Hell before, Ichigo. However, you were in the territory occupied by Soul Society, and not in my own."

"I'm… not following…"

"You see, there are multiple areas and lands within the larger realm of Hell that are occupied by different supernatural Factions. For example, the Underworld, which is where we are now, is lorded over by the Devils and Fallen Angels of the Biblical Faction. Hades, which is several hundred thousand miles away, is ruled by the Greek Pantheon. The area of Hell you visited several years ago was the property of Soul Society, and to a larger extent the Shinto Faction. Make sense?"

"I… think so. Basically, you're saying that _Hell_ is essentially like the Earth, and the multiple territories that make up Hell are comparable to the different nations and continents in the World of the Living, right?"

"Exactly!" Sirzechs grinned proudly. "I knew I had you pegged for a sharp cookie!"

"I still don't understand how I wouldn't be able to remember coming here, though," Ichigo frowned, casting his gaze down at the ground in frustration. Being in Hell definitely sounded like an experience he wouldn't easily forget, yet for the life of him he couldn't scrounge up any memories of such an event.

"You can likely thank Soul Society for that," Yoruichi commented from her spot on Sirzechs' shoulders. "If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that Central Forty-Six is responsible for your lapse in memory."

The orange-head's eyes snapped up to her instantly. "What do you mean?"

"You're correct, Lady Yoruichi," Sirzechs said, sparing a brief glance at her feline form before looking back down the dirt pathway. "Ichigo, I know you can't remember any of what occurred, but you actually journeyed to Hell in order to save your sister's soul."

"I-"

"Let me finish. Before we get into too much detail, I suppose it would make sense to provide you with a bit more context before diving right into what actually happened. You see, although the main two territories of the Shinto afterlife are Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, there is in fact, as you've probably guessed, a _third_ place a Shinto believer can go after they've died. Hell is a place where people are condemned to when they've done something so terribly vile during their lives, that they are given no possibility of ever reaching Soul Society. You are aware that Hollows can potentially be purified, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, sinners are never given that chance. They are left to rot in Hell, bound in fire and chains for all of conceivable eternity. In fact, I would dare say that Soul Society's territory within Hell is far worse than anything in the Underworld." Sirzechs actually paused to _shiver_ for a moment, before quickly shaking his head and continuing forward down the path. "Anyway, back to the main matter at hand. Your sister, Yuzu, was kidnapped by several sinners a few years ago, and you ventured down into Hell to rescue her. You were accompanied by several of your friends, and together you all managed to defeat the sinners with the aid of a man by the name of Kokutō."

Ichigo remained silent, keeping his eyes trained on the back of Sirzechs' head as the red-haired devil gave his explanation. It all sounded completely unbelievable, but at the same time, he knew it wasn't. Going to Hell all for the sake of rescuing Yuzu sounded _exactly_ like something he'd do, and he knew in his heart that he would gladly do it again if the need ever arose.

Doing his best, the orange-head reached into the deepest corners of his mind to once again try and piece together any lingering memories of what had happened. To his surprise, he actually managed to latch onto a fragmented image of fighting an enormous creature alongside a man with white hair and an obscured face.

"I… think I remember…"

Sirzechs grunted, continuing forward without looking back. "That's no surprise. Your memories were _repressed,_ not actually taken away. Now that I'm actually describing what happened in detail, you should be able to recall the entire series of events fairly quickly, and being down here again is likely speeding up that process as well. Anyway, back to the story. One thing led to another, and predictably, Kokutō betrayed you like the snake I always knew he was. As it turned out, he wanted your assistance in breaking the chains that bound him to Hell. Doing so would allow him to potentially enter the Soul Society."

Ichigo winced suddenly as a barrage of images flashed through the forefront of his mind. He saw himself battling the white-haired man he'd fought alongside with prior. He also saw himself submitting to the monster that resided inside his soul.

"I… I transformed into a Hollow…" he realized aloud.

"Indeed, you did," Sirzechs replied. "And damn, did you ever do an absurd amount of damage. See, Kokutō needed you to transform the entire time, as your powers as a Vasto Lorde was the only thing powerful enough to break the Chains of Hell."

"Did I…?"

"Did you break the chains? Very nearly, and you would have had it not been for the intervention of your friend, Renji Abari. He sent you and your sister back to the Living World, which prevented Kokutō from being released. Unfortunately, sending the two of you back also trapped Renji and your two other associates in Hell _with_ Kokutō. But of course, being the stubborn fool I knew you were, you returned to fight the bastard and free your friends. And yes, you _obviously_ won that fight."

"How? Did I turn into a Hollow again?" Ichigo asked.

"No," Sirzechs said, shaking his head as he stepped over a fallen tree. "That would have been exactly what Kokutō wanted. Actually, as hard as it still is for me to believe, Hell itself actually responded to your need for power and christened you as its temporary vessel. You were given dominion over the guardians of Hell, the Kushanāda, and the added strength allowed you to take Kokutō out of the fight for good. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say that a small vestige of that power still resides inside of you somewhere."

Ichigo looked down at himself, as if doing so would allow him to visibly see the power his godfather was talking about. When nothing appeared, he let out a huff and looked back up at the back of the man in front of him. "You still haven't explained how I wasn't able to remember any of this in the first place."

"Actually, Lady Yoruichi did so slightly already. After everything transpired, I was forced to meet with Captain Commander Yamamoto to discuss what our next course of action should be. He claimed that allowing you to retain your memories would inevitably lead to you questioning the existence of other Factions, due to the fact that Hell is most often associated with the Biblical Trio. If you started asking such questions, then Amaterasu's desire to keep you isolated from the rest of the supernatural world would be threatened."

"So… Soul Society decided to mess with my memories," Ichigo concluded.

"They did," Sirzechs confirmed, stopping in his tracks to look back at the orange-head. "However, you have my word that I fought them with every single amount of political power I possess. Unfortunately, it was ultimately not my decision to make, given that you were completely under Soul Society's jurisdiction at the time. Things are different now though, and I promise to treat you like an actually family member as opposed to just another expendable soldier."

"Thank you. I… really appreciate it."

Nodding, the crimson-haired devil smiled brightly before turning again to continue down the trail.

Ichigo followed him, but elected to remain silent instead of asking any further questions. He'd always know that Captain Commander Yamamoto and the rest of Soul Society were rather paranoid, but this new revelation blew everything he'd previously thought out of the water. They'd wiped his memory. They'd fucking _violated_ his mind, which was supposed to be the one place where he was untouchable. The thought brought a snarl to his face, and he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles began to creak in protest.

A sudden weight suddenly made itself known on top of his head, and he looked up to see a pair of golden eyes staring back down at him.

"Try not to let it trouble you too much, Ichigo," Yoruichi advised. "If I allowed everything from my past to dictate my every thought, then I would be a very bitter person. It's in the past now, so the best thing you can do is let it go."

That was much easier said than done.

If Soul Society had managed to selectively erase his memories without him even knowing, what else could they take away from him? There were many things Ichigo didn't _want_ to forget, such as the friends he knew he could still trust. Yamamoto had now permanently earned a shitty reputation in his eyes, but he was still fairly certain he could trust the likes of Renji and Rukia. There were likely several others such as Toshiro and Rangiku who would take his side, but he wasn't about to blindly put his life in their hands anymore…

"What now?" Ichigo asked.

"That depends," Sirzechs replied, casting a look back over his shoulder. "Do you have any desire to return to Soul Society? If so, then speak now."

"What do _you_ think?"

The red-haired devil smirked. "In that case, allow me to formally welcome you to Lucifer Manor."

Sirzechs reached up to push away a cluster of tree branches, and Ichigo was forced to momentarily shield his eyes from the blinding light that suddenly shone through the gap in the foliage. As his vision gradually adjusted to the light, the orange-head felt his mouth drop in genuine awe as he beheld the sight of what was undoubtedly one of the largest buildings he had ever seen.

"You _live_ here?!" he exclaimed.

"I do," Sirzechs confirmed with a grin. "The house was built relatively recently, only a few centuries ago in fact, so we try to keep everything as modern as we can on the inside. You will find that the manor is fully furnished with the most recent design trends found in the Living World. I hope you can come to think of it as your second home."

Home? _Home?!_

This place was nearly the size of the entire Seireitei! Ichigo didn't doubt for a moment that he would end up getting lost in the enormous structure several times before even coming close to grasping its full layout.

Without another word, Sirzechs led him from the edge of the forest and across the field that led to the house. Trimmed hedges and marble statues decorated their pathway, and everything looked meticulously pristine. How someone managed to keep everything so spotless and perfect, Ichigo would never know. Before too long, they reached the elaborately decorated front door, which Sirzechs pushed open with a mild flourish.

"Welcome home, Lord Lucifer!"

Ichigo blinked at the chorus of voices that greeted them. Gathered just on the other side of the door was what appeared to be a collection of servants; the uniforms they all wore made it highly unlikely that they were anything but. At the head of the group, a silver-haired woman with cool eyes stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

"Welcome home, My Lord," she said plainly.

"Grayfia, darling!" Sirzechs laughed, moving forward with his arms outstretched for a hug. "Why so casual, my love? Come here and give me a big fat kis- ACK!" The Crimson Satan yelped in pain as he was harshly elbowed in the ribs.

"Do not forget proper etiquette, My Lord," Grayfia said, looking down with mild irritation as her husband collapsed to the floor. Letting out a rough sigh, she quickly turned her attention to Ichigo. "And you must be the new Young Master. Welcome to Lucifer Manor; if there is anything you require, please do not hesitate to ask one of the members of my staff."

"Welcome, Lord Kurosaki!" the rest of the nameless servants cried out in unison.

Ichigo bit down the urge to snap out and demand that they never call him such a thing ever again. If this was their way of doing things, he wasn't about to require that they conform to his personal tastes. "Uh… thank you. Is he gonna be okay?"

Grayfia looked down at Sirzechs, who was still twitching on the floor. "He will be fine. The Lord Lucifer has suffered much worse over the years, after all. Now come, allow me to show you to your room."

The group of servants parted immediately, and Grayfia turned to walk through them and down the large main hallway leading from the door. Able to recognize an unspoken request when he saw one, Ichigo wordlessly followed after her with Yoruichi still perched atop his head. Once he and Grayfia were far enough along down the hall, the servants silently broke apart and moved off in multiple directions, presumably to carry out their daily duties.

Ichigo watched them go for a moment, before turning his eyes back to Grayfia. "So… have we met before?"

"We have," she confirmed without turning around. "However, you were little more than an infant the last time I saw you. I don't expect you to remember too much."

Ichigo nodded in understanding, even though he knew the silver-haired woman wouldn't be able to see. Rather quickly, the atmosphere was overtaken with an uncomfortable silence, and he desperately wracked his brain for something else to help start up a conversation. Grayfia didn't seem like the kind of person who often indulged in idle chatter, but Ichigo had a feeling she would still answer any questions he asked.

"So… what should I call you?"

"What do you mean?"

The orange-head reached up to awkwardly rub at the back of his neck. "Well… I'm just not sure if there's some kind of formality I'm supposed to use when speaking to you. Am I supposed to say 'Miss Grayfia,' or…?"

Without missing a step, Grayfia cast a surprisingly amused look over her shoulder. "Just Grayfia is fine. However, given our relationship, I would not be opposed to having you call me godmother."

Ichigo nodded, and the silver-haired woman looked away.

Another stretch of silence engulfed them, and Ichigo found himself growing anxious once again. A black paw suddenly reached down to boop him on the tip of the nose, and he crossed his eyes to look up and meet Yoruichi's golden gaze.

"Ask her about devil culture," she suggested with a whisper. "It can't hurt for you to learn as much as you can about this place. You wouldn't want to be ill-prepared if something were to happen."

Not a bad idea.

Clearing his throat, Ichigo opened his mouth to follow his former instructor's advice. "So, Mis- uh, Grayfia- is there anything you can tell me about the Underworld? Sirzechs didn't really give me too much information aside from the fact that its only one of the major territories within Hell."

His godmother sighed. "I had a suspicion that might end up being the case. Well, to answer your question, there is a multitude of information I would be more than happy to share with you about the Underworld's customs and history. Shall I start from the beginning?"

Grayfia's tone sounded much more excited and enthused than anything he'd heard out of her thus far, and Ichigo desperately grasped hold of that enthusiasm as quickly as he could. "Yes, please! I'd like to know as much as I can." Even though he couldn't see her face, he immediately knew his response pleased Grayfia immensely.

"Very well. To start with, I suppose I should explain that although the Lord Lucifer possesses the title of 'Satan', he is not actually the being who was cast down from Heaven by the God of the Bible. That would be his predecessor."

"You're saying there was another Lucifer before Sirzechs?"

"Indeed. At the beginning of our history, we Devils were actually residents of Heaven. However, there were four of us who wished to abandon the grand design of God of the Bible in favor of complete dominion over the world of mankind. As you can undoubtedly guess, God did not appreciate this treachery in the slightest, and so he cast those four from Heaven, along with their sympathizers. After founding the Underworld, these four individuals named themselves as the original Great Satans, and declared war against the forces of Heaven."

"That sounds pretty synonymous with what basic religion preaches."

"I would think so. However, there is more to the story of the war between Devils and Angels than most ordinary humans might expect. You may or may not already know this, but there was actually a _third_ faction within the war that made itself known shortly after the conflict began. This faction is known in modern times as the Fallen Angels."

"I thought Lucifer was described as a Fallen Angel in the Bible? Are Devils and Fallen Angels two entirely separate things?"

"Quite so," Grayfia replied with a nod. "Modern Devils are the descendants of the _original_ beings cast out of Heaven at the beginning of the war, while Fallen Angels fell from God's grace of their own accord later on. You see, when a pure angel falls victim to one of the Seven Deadly Sins such as lust or greed, they become a Fallen. Their white wings become black as night, and they are barred entry from Heaven for all sternly unless they are able to prove themselves worthy once again."

"But then…"

"I can only assume the original Lucifer is occasionally referred to as a 'Fallen' due to the fact that he technically did fall from God's grace. Correct translation can be lost over time after all, and it has been several centuries since these events occurred."

"I see…"

He really didn't. Ichigo would fully admit that Devil history was more than a little complicated, and he had a sneaking suspicion that Grayfia had only scratched the surface with what she'd told him. Hopefully he'd be able to grasp it all a little easier as more time went on…

"Well, here we are," Grayfia said suddenly, stopping before a highly decorated oaken door. "This will be your room for the duration of your stay in the Underworld. I apologize for having to cut our history lesson short, but we will undoubtedly pick up again at a later date. For now, though, I must ask that you clean yourself up and get changed into the clothes laid out on your bed."

"Can I ask why?" Ichigo questioned with a raised brow.

"Dinner will be served in about an hour, and the Lord Lucifer's direct family will be in attendance. It is only proper that you make as best of a first impression as you can. Please press the button on your desk if you have any troubles." With that, Grayfia turned without another word and walked away down the hall."

"My desk…?" Curiously, Ichigo opened the door to his new quarters.

He was not ready for what awaited him on the other side…

A massive bed was positioned at the far end of the room, with the headboard resting against the wall. On the wall opposite of the door, and enormous window took up the entire expanse of available space, giving him an unobscured view of the forest surrounding the mansion and the sky above. A large mahogany desk, easily the same size as Integra's, occupied the area between his bed and the window, and Ichigo quickly noticed the small button which Grayfia had mentioned that was built into one of the wooden legs.

Presumably, pressing it would summon a servant.

Turning his head slightly to the right, Ichigo noticed yet another door. It didn't take a genius to determine a bathroom likely awaited him on the other side. "This is insane…"

"This is customary," Yoruichi replied, leaping off his head and down onto the floor. From there, she sauntered across the floor and over to the bed, where she jumped up and immediately made herself comfortable. "Sirzechs is easily one of the most important political figures within the Underworld, and that means he needs to flaunt his power."

"Isn't that a bit egotistical?"

"It might seem that way, but if there was ever anything I learned during my time as the Shihouin heiress, it is that most other people in power will only respect you if you show them you can compete amongst the elite. Do you think my family was well-recognized solely for our ability to transform into animals? No, we were recognized for our abundant wealth, and the way in which we presented ourselves."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, whenever I was escorted into public, I was always forced to wear the finest kimono that could be afforded. You see, things in the Underworld are not so different that in Soul Society; Sirzechs needs to remind those who come into his home that he is a top dog, and all of this extravagant decoration hammers home that fact on a constant basis. Understand?"

"I think so… but it's still stupid."

Yoruichi snorted. "On that, I believe we can both agree. Now, go take a bath. You _are_ starting to smell a bit rank."

"I am not!"

"Oh really? Think you can remind me which one of us has the hypersensitive nose right now?"

Ichigo scowled, but did not argue any further.

* * *

 _(Forty-Five Minutes Later)_

One hot soak and a fresh change of clothes later, Ichigo found both himself and Yoruichi, now in human form, being led from their shared room by a servant to the main dining hall.

Mildly uncomfortable, he reached up to fiddle with the collar of his unnecessarily tight dress shirt, but the appendage was quickly slapped away by the lighting fast reflexes of his companion. "Hey! what was that for?" Ichigo snapped, eyes angrily darting towards Yoruichi.

His former mentor merely shrugged in response. "Leave it be. You look fine."

"I don't _feel_ fine. I feel like an idiot."

"Well, I'm afraid that's just something you'll have to get used to. Believe me when I tell you that noble houses are more than a little fond of top of the line clothing. Back when I was still the heiress to the Shihouin family, I was forced into the most elaborate kimonos money could buy. Do you think I enjoyed being paraded around in something like that?"

"I wouldn't think so."

"You think correctly. It was awful and suffocating beyond belief, but it was necessary. Nobility is impressed by formality, after all. Besides, it isn't like you're the only one being forced to wear fancy clothing."

She had a point there.

However, whereas he had been stuffed into a dark black jacket and matching pants, Yoruichi was now garbed in a fairly form-fitting evening gown. The dress was dark purple, and littered with sequence that glittered in the reflective light given off by the lanterns lining the top of the hallway. There was no denying that Yoruichi looked beautiful in such an outfit, and Ichigo found himself having to force himself to avert his eyes from her admittedly eye-catching figure.

Soon enough, their party stopped in front of a large set of double doors, lined with maroon curtains on both sides of the entryway. The servant girl who had been leading them turned around, and crossed an arm over her chest in a polite bow. "This is where dinner will be held for the evening. Lord Lucifer and his family will be arriving shortly, and I encourage you to take the pair of seats on the right side of the table."

Ichigo prepared to respond, but Yoruichi beat him to it. In a display of surprising formality, she enclosed one fist and pressed her knuckles into the open palm of her other hand, bowing in return. "Thank you for guiding us. I believe we will be alright from here."

The servant girl blinked several times, mouth falling open in obvious surprise. The expression only lasted for a moment, though, and she quickly hurried away back down the hall after voicing a final formal farewell.

"That was unexpected," Ichigo snorted, stepping forward to open the set of doors.

"Whatever do you mean, dear boy?" Yoruichi asked coyly, standing up straight and passing through the threshold and into the dining room. "Is it such a surprise that I would be polite to someone who deserves it?"

"Yes."

"Hmph. You're such a rude one…"

Ichigo barked out a laugh, following his friend into the dining hall. A large wooden table, possessing legs decorated with elaborate carvings, was positioned in the exact center of the space. A crystal chandelier hung overhead, casting a soft glow over the room as the light from the candles near the walls refracted against it. It was actually pretty beautiful.

"Enchanting, isn't it?" Yoruichi remarked absently.

"Yeah, I guess it is…"

"Come on then, let's sit."

And so, they did. Deciding it was only proper, Ichigo stepped behind his mentor's chair and pulled it out for her. The Flash Goddess gave him an appreciative nod, and allowed him to push her closer to the table as she sat down. He then took his own seat, and began inspecting the odd number of forks and spoons laid out on the table in front of him.

"Who the heck needs more than one fork…?"

"One of them is likely for a salad," Yoruichi supplied helpfully. "And the smaller spoon is probably used for soups."

"Who decided a salad needed a separate fork?"

"I'm assuming some fancy-pants bureaucrat. Now hush. I can sense several approaching energy signatures."

Ichigo blinked, turning his head in the direction of the main doors just as they were pushed open, revealing a new pair of individuals. The man of the two was tall, and looked as if he could've been Sirzechs' older brother. The red-haired man's facial features were a bit sharper than Sirzechs' though, and there were more visible lines under his eyes and around the corners of his mouth.

The woman standing next to him looked close to the same age, but her hair was a light brown in color. Additionally, whereas her companion wore a dark navy suit and tie, she was dressed in a pure white evening gown decorated with golden embroidery. Both of them radiated a strange energy, and Ichigo found himself inadvertently lowering his eyes in respect.

That, and he really didn't want to be caught looking at the woman's breasts…

Seriously, what was _with_ supernatural women having abnormally large assets? It was enough to drive any normal man insane!

"Good evening," the male newcomer greeted cordially, offering both him and Yoruichi a kind smile. "Am I correct in assuming you are the Lord Kurosaki and Lady Shihouin?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to deny the title, but Yoruichi swiftly kicked him in the shin under the table.

"Ow!" the orange-head yelped.

"We are," she replied, ignoring his angry glare. "And might you be the Lord and Lady Gremory?"

Ichigo blinked.

Gremory? That was Sirzechs' former last name, which could only mean these two were…

"Indeed," the man confirmed. "I am Zeoticus, and this enchanting gem is my wife Venelana. It is a true pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise," Yoruichi nodded respectfully, before once again kicking him in the ankle.

Despite feeling the urge to bite out a scathing curse, Ichigo took the hint and turned to his godfather's parents, also inclining his head. "Uh, yeah. It's really nice to meet you both."

"Nonsense, young man," Venelana chuckled, stepping toward the table and allowing her husband to pull out her seat. "I can assure you that the pleasure is completely ours. We have been eager to meet you for quite some time, after all."

"R-Really?"

"Quite so. Sirzechs speaks so fondly of you, even though he has not seen you for a good many years. Additionally, the tale of you victory against Sosuke Aizen has become somewhat of a popular story among the Underworld's children. My son has already welcomed you into the family, correct?"

"Yes ma'am," he nodded.

"Oh please dear, there is no need to be so formal with us. I know that our relation is not connected by blood, but it would truly mean the world to me if you called me grandmother."

Ichigo blinked.

That… had definitely not been what he'd expected to hear.

Still, the motherly look on Venelana's face was not something he could refuse in good conscience. "Well, if you insist…"

"We certainly do," Zeoticus smiled kindly, taking his own seat. "I know it must be strange to hear two complete strangers speak to you in such a way, but I truly hope you can come to think of us as your family in the near future."

They were right. It was a pretty strange thing to hear, but Ichigo couldn't find himself able to fault them for it. Zeoticus and Venelana seemed like two genuinely kind people, and if they were this willing to bring him in as a member of their family, it would only be right for him to try and find a comfortable place within it.

"I'll do my best. Thank you."

Zeoticus nodded, before turning to his wife to begin their own private conversation.

Ichigo glanced down at the table, allowing his eyes to follow the patterns in the tablecloth as his brain processed everything. A light touch on his left knee distracted him however, and he looked up to meet Yoruichi's approving smile.

"You're doing a good job so far," she praised quietly. "Make sure to keep it up."

"I'll do my best…" he snorted.

Silence quickly occupied the space between them, and Ichigo turned his attention back to the tablecloth. As his eyes traced the fabric, he allowed himself back to the earlier discussion he'd had with Sirzechs. Yamamoto's face appeared at the forefront of his mind, and an incredibly ugly sensation made itself comfortable in his chest. He'd always known the old man was paranoid beyond belief, but still…

He had no excuse.

Neither did Amaterasu.

They had defiled his memories, and all for what? Just so the Lady of the Sun could have her way and keep him from the other Factions? Not only was that unjustifiable, but it was downright _certifiable._ What person thought they had the right to meddle so much in the life of someone else? Even if she was a god, and even _if_ she was his biological grandmother, Amaterasu would have to get down on her knees and _beg_ for his forgiveness if she ever wanted to possess it.

And even then, Ichigo wasn't so sure he could grant it.

The ugly feeling in his chest began to slowly expand…

Thankfully, though, a sudden surge of demonic energy pulled him from his thoughts. Everyone in the dining room turned collectively to watch as the main doors were opened once again, this time revealing a young woman who appeared to be no more than sixteen or seventeen. Her long red hair hung down to just below the middle of her back, and her sparkling blue-green eyes shone with vivid interest.

It didn't take a genius to deduce that this was also one of his new relatives.

The hair color was definitely the biggest giveaway.

"Mother! Father!" The redheaded newcomer smiled brightly, and swiftly stepped forward to wrap her arms around Venelana as the latter stood up.

"Goodness Rias," the brunette tittered lightly, "it certainly is good to see you again. You've grown splendidly."

"Oh please mother… I've only been gone for a few months."

"A few months too long if you ask me."

Zeoticus stood up as well to greet his daughter, and Ichigo caught himself smiling at the display. It was actually kind of surreal, in a way, to see a species usually depicted as cruel to act so lovingly. If anything, it was a reminder to not take the world at face value. He'd initially learned that lesson back when he'd first met Byakuya; the stoic Captain had seemed so cold-hearted at first, but as time went on it became abundantly clear that he cared for Rukia more than anything else in the world.

Rias suddenly looked his way, and her smile seemed to widen. Gently pulling away from Venelana, she moved forward and seated herself in the empty chair to his immediate right.

"Hello Ichigo!"

"Hey," he replied lamely.

She giggled, bringing up a hand to unsuccessfully hide her mirth. "My brother has told me so much about you. Is it true that you were the one to defeat Sosuke Aizen?"

Ichigo felt a bead of sweat drip down his temple.

Yoruichi snorted in amusement to his left.

"Well, I definitely fought him. But I can't really say that I was able to beat him all by myself. I only stalled him until one of my friends was able to separate him from the Hōgyoku." Taking all of the credit for the Winter War would have just been dishonest. Yoruichi, Kisuke, and his old man had definitely done their fair share of fighting, and so had quite a few of his other acquaintances in Soul Society.

On the other side of the table, Zeoticus tapped his index finger against the wooden surface, nodding in approval. "It impresses me to see that you are so humble, Ichigo. However, according to Sirzechs, you actually nearly managed to vanquish Aizen on your own. Do you deny this?"

"I mean… no, not really. I guess I _was_ pretty close to finishing him off, but even at my strongest I just wasn't good enough to do the deed."

The red-haired man hummed at the information. "Do you think you might be able to regale us with the story while we wait for everyone else to arrive?"

It couldn't hurt, could it?

And so, Ichigo told his tale.

He began with the story of how Orihime had been captured by Ulquiorra, before leading into the rescue mission he'd launched with the rest of his remaining friends. He told them about his first meeting with Nelliel and her ragtag band of Hollow outcasts, as well as their infiltration of Las Noches. When he reached the part detailing his first Hollowfication during his fight with Ulquiorra, he noticed all of the Devils present lean forward with significantly more interest.

Odd.

Odd, but not really concerning.

As the minutes continued to tick by, and the story continued to progress, Ichigo finally reached the bit concerning his final fight with Aizen. The memory was not an incredibly pleasant one, but he did not let that stop him from going into every specific detail he could think of.

"Wait…" Rias suddenly spoke up, interrupting him. "If Aizen was as powerful as you say, then how were you almost able to beat him?"

"Well, I used a technique I learned while training with my father," he explained. "Actually, I learned it directly from my sword, but going into that would just be too complicated to explain right now."

"Okay…?"

"Anyway, the technique is called the Final Getsuga Tenshō. Essentially, in order to pull it off, I was forced to use up every last bit of my Spiritual Energy, which is why I don't have any of my powers anymore. Still, I think it was worth it."

"I take it this was what allowed your friend to remove the Hōgyoku from Aizen, correct?" Zeoticus asked. "You managed to decrease his strength to such a degree that he was unable to stop his inevitable defeat."

Ichigo shrugged. He didn't really understand the exact mechanics of how the former Captain had been defeated, but that sounded about right. "I guess so. All I know is that it worked, and now that psychopath is trapped deep below Soul Society where he'll never be able to cause trouble again. That's all I care about."

"Well said!"

The doors to the dining room burst open, revealing Sirzechs, Grayfia, and a young boy who seemed around nine years of age. A far cry from his earlier appearance, Sirzechs was currently dressed in flowing robes and gilded shoulder armor, no doubt to emphasize his status. Grayfia, in a slightly humorous contrast, was still dressed in her simple maid uniform. The red-haired boy standing between them was clothed in a white undershirt, covered by a navy jacket and matching shorts.

Again, yet another dead-ringer for Sirzechs.

Undoubtedly his son.

"Apologies for the wait, everyone." The Crimson Satan moved forward, taking a seat at the head of the table. Grayfia sat on his right, next to Venelana, while their son moved down to sit at the end of the table opposite his father, between Yoruichi and Zeoticus. "Paperwork got the better of me, but I think I can put it away for the rest of the evening."

"Only to pick it up again in the morning," Grayfia said, raising a brow. " _Right_ , My Lord?"

"H-Heh… of course, darling. Ichigo, I take it that my parents and sister have already introduced themselves?"

"Yeah. We had a nice conversation."

"Splendid! Millicas, why don't you say hello to your godbrother?"

All eyes turned to the young boy at the other end of the table, who shrunk in on himself slightly. It was more than apparent that he did _not_ want to be the center of the attention, and Ichigo immediately felt sorry for the kid. They definitely had that in common.

"H-Hello…" the child stammered

"Come now, Millicas," Grayfia admonished. "Speak clearly and respectfully."

"Yes! Uh… my name is Millicas Gremory, second in line to inherit the Gremory estate."

"Nice to meet ya," Ichigo replied casually, waving a hand. "I'm Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Oh, I know that!" Millicas said, suddenly becoming far more enthusiastic. "All of my classmates at school think you're so cool!"

"Is that right…?"

"Mhm! You're the one who came down to Hell and was able to command the Kushanāda and break the Chains. You also kicked that Aizen guy's butt!"

"Millicas!" Grayfia admonished sternly, features drawing down into a frown. "Do not forget your place. You are not to use such language, do you understand?"

"Oh… yes, mother. I apologize."

Ichigo frowned. He knew it wasn't really his place to tell Grayfia how to raise her child, but this seemed like a bit much. The kid had only been having a little bit of fun; was there really such a need to get on his case so harshly?

Coughing, and effectively breaking the tension, Sirzechs clapped his hands. "Well, I don't know about the rest of you, but I am positively starving. What say we get this meal started, hmm?"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the doors to the room opened yet again, and an ensemble of servants poured in wheeling carts laden with covered dishes of food. Heavenly smells began to float through the air, and Ichigo felt his stomach start to rumble in anticipation.

A plate of salad was placed in front of him, and the former Substitute allowed himself to relax as the conversation began to drift into lighter topics.

* * *

 _(Location Unknown)_

This was wrong…

Everything about the situation…

Still, there was nothing she could do but continue to go along with the plan. Bambietta hated the idea of slaughtering millions of innocent people, but in the end she had no real choice in the matter. If she refused the Major, then the pudgy little monster would undoubtedly report her insubordination back to His Majesty.

And then she would never see her dream fulfilled…

"It isn't fair," she scowled, launching a pillow at the closest wall. "It just isn't fair!"

A sudden knock echoed from the door to her room, and Bambietta whirled towards the noise. "Who is it? What the fuck do you want?!"

The door opened, and bright head of electric-green hair filled the entryway. Bambietta immediately breathed out a tense sigh, sloughing against the remaining pillows still on her bed. "Oh, it's just you. What is it?"

"Just me, huh?" Candice Catnipp parroted sarcastically. "The fuck kind of a greeting is that? Here I was, thinkin' I would be nice and come check on you, but you give me _that_ crap? Nuh-uh… try again."

"I'm sorry…" Bambietta sighed. "I'm just… ugh. Did you ever think we would end up like this?"

"Like what?"

"Taking orders from psychotic Nazis. When we started training in His Majesty's school, I was told that we would grow up to fight a righteous and liberating cause. This sure as fuck doesn't feel like either of those."

"Eh, I know what you mean." Moving forward, Candice came to sit next to her on the bed. The green-haired Quincy's eyes drifted straight ahead, fixing on some indiscernible point on the metallic wall across the room. "This whole situation is messed up. I mean, yeah, I like my fair share of bashing in skulls and zapping people to ashes, but I sure as fuck didn't sign up to kill at random. Not when the people we're supposed to kill are ordinary humans."

Bambietta nodded in agreement, but didn't reply.

Killing Soul Reapers would have been different. They had been the ones to nearly decimate her people, and therefore they would have _deserved_ the death they received. Ordinary people, on the other hand, deserved no such fate. They were simply trying to live their everyday lives, completely oblivious to the supernatural turmoil going on around them.

Sighing, she allowed her thoughts to drift to her wish. The thing she had been promised by His Majesty should she be successful in her task.

To be reunited with the mother she barely remembered…

Would the woman she so desperately wanted to meet approve of her life choices? Would she believe that the means justified the end? Bambietta highly doubted it. Still, there was no other way to get what she wanted. Neither her father nor His Majesty had ever reveled her mother's name or her address, meaning the only way she would ever be able to find her was to do as commanded. No matter how much it pained her…

"What is your wish?"

Candice blinked, seemingly startled from her own train of thought. "Huh?"

Bambietta sighed, propping her chin up with a hand. "What did His Majesty promise you? There must have been _something_."

"'Course there's something. It's… it's just kinda embarrassin'." Rubbing her arm and blushing lightly, Candice drew in a deep breath. "You ever wanted something so bad, but knew you would never be able to get it on your own? That's the kind of thing I want."

"Care to explain?"

"Ugh. I want to meet someone, okay…?"

Oh.

 _OH._

Bambietta blinked. That certainly hadn't been what she'd expected to hear. For as long as they'd known each other, Candice had always seemed like the type of girl who would always be content to look after herself. She was tough, thick-headed, loud-mouthed, and didn't do well when challenged by authority. Still, Bambietta supposed the heart would always desire similar things, no matter who said heart belong to.

"I can't say I blame you. But I'll admit, I'm a little surprised…"

"Yeah, I figured you would be," the green-haired Sternritter snorted. "But when we were kids, I found a book filled with stories. One of them was about a happy little family who lived in a cottage deep in the forest. I guess it just kinda appealed to me, ya know? Don't me wrong, I _love_ fighting, but someday it would be nice to be able to take a break from it all…"

"Is that why you-"

"Why I spend my time chasing after random Soldat and luring them back to my room? I guess so. I know it ain't the most sensible thing to do, but it takes my mind off of things for a while. Having those desperate little bastards run their hands up and down my body makes me feel wanted."

Bambietta winced.

She was well aware that Candice had been abandoned as a child, but what she'd just heard wasn't the right way to seek out attention. Admittedly, she'd indulged herself with a few of the Soldat every now and then, but that was only when she desperately needed to find relief that she couldn't achieve herself. The way her longtime friend had been behaving for the past few years just wasn't healthy…

"Tell me about him."

"About who?" Candice frowned.

"Mister dream guy. Tell me what you want him to be like, and maybe I can help keep an eye out for you." It was an admittedly pathetic attempt to lighten the mood, but if it worked then it worked.

Candice grinned, rolling her eyes. "Well… I like tall guys."

"I don't blame you."

"Heh. I don't mind a few muscles either."

"Amen to that."

"And you _know_ he's gotta have a big dick."

Bambietta laughed out loud, slapping a hand down onto the mattress. "Now you're speaking my language. Preach it, sister!"

Candice laughed as well, but sobered up quickly. "But seriously… I know I'm pretty fucking hard to approach, but I'd like to meet a guy who isn't afraid to dish it back out. Someone who isn't afraid to take my crap and meet my intensity at every turn."

"That isn't going to be easy…"

"Fuck you!" the green-haired young woman snorted, punching Bambietta lightly in the shoulder. "But yeah, I get it. I'm a handful, and I know that. But I want to find a guy who will be there for me when I'm at my lowest. A guy who will pick me up, give me a good dicking to improve my mood, and then pour back a drink with me while we watch a dumbass movie. I… I want…"

Bambietta's eyes softened. "You want to be loved."

Her friend cringed visibly at the word, but didn't deny it.

Who didn't want to find love? Even she, for all her desire to kill Ichigo Kurosaki and see her mother again, had occasionally thought about settling down at some point in the future. She didn't want to do it anytime _soon_ , per say, but the thought had still crossed her mind now and again.

Still, she couldn't allow such things to distract her at present.

She had a job to do, and as much as she didn't want to be an accessory to genocide, she didn't have a choice. No matter what it took, and no matter what she had to do, she _would_ see her mother again.

And there was no one who would stand in her way.

Not even orange-haired Soul Reapers…

* * *

 _(Atlantic Ocean)_

It would be any moment now.

In fact, she could practically _smell_ the stench of freshly-spilled blood rising up from the VTOL aircraft carrier in the waters below. How wonderful! Such a thing meant her subordinates had been successful in their mission! Ah, the Major would be so happy.

As he private helicopter descended through the sky towards the ship, Rip van Winkle gingerly ran her fingers along the barrel of her beloved musket. Her digits moved in time with the tune of her favorite opera, _'Der Freishutz',_ as it was being played through the copter's loudspeakers. As it stood, the night was turning out to be nothing short of fantastic. All that was left was to complete her own end of the mission…

When the helicopter was a scant few feet above the ship's landing pad, Rip leapt down onto the main desk and twirled around happily. " _Wie wundervoll!_ What a beautiful evening! The moon is out, the air is crisp, and the scent of blood is filling my head! Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor…"

As she ceased her pleased little dance, and trio of men ran towards her across the deck. She turned to give the man in the middle of the group her attention, and once he was close enough, the blond snapped into a respectful salute. "Welcome aboard the HMS Eagle, Ma'am. Everything is in order, as per your instructions. The ship _and_ its crew are now at Millennium's disposal."

Rip's upper lip pulled up into an amused sneer. "How does it _feel_ , my newly-minted Captain? How does it feel to become a vampire, lead a mutiny, murder your crew, and commit high treason all in one night?"

The uniformed man swallowed thickly, but did not voice an answer.

"I see…" Rip allowed her brow to pull down into a judgmental frown. "Then perhaps you might tell me how it feels to have condemned your fellow countrymen to hell… doomed to walk the Earth as ghoulish, _rotting_ corpses. What was _that_ like, hmm?"

"I… well…"

"I suppose you're right, Captain… it really doesn't matter anymore, does it? In any case… excellent work! This is really amazing, you know? Millennium is more than happy to have go-getters like you on our team!"

"Thank you…?"

"Oh, you're so welcome! We really couldn't have done it without you. And of course, the Major is so proud of the effort and drive the three of you have shown! You all _definitely_ deserve everything that is coming to you."

The trio of vampiric Englishmen visibly relaxed, and toothy smiles spread across their lips at the praise. Their shoulders slouched slightly, and the muscles hidden underneath their clothing released the tension that had been building up inside them.

Ha.

Idiots…

Rip's smile morphed into an absolutely shark-like sneer. "Well now. I guess the only thing left for you to do… is _die._ "

Raising her musket, Rip pulled the trigger and allowed the iron ball already held within to shoot out in a bright flash of blue light, accompanied by a slight whistling. Unsurprisingly, the blond Captain managed to evade her shot and leap over her head to the crow's nest.

"The bitch set us up!" he roared furiously.

Indeed, she had. But had they really expected anything less? Millennium only used the best of the best when it came to completing their ultimate goal, and desperate fools hungry for immortality were only worth serving as temporary tools. Or as cannon fodder, on occasion. Briefly ignoring the furious Captain behind her, Rip moved her eyes in the direction of his two remaining comrades.

In an instant, the pair of men both exploded into shows of flesh and blood.

The Captain choked in surprise. "H-How?! You only fired one shot!"

"One shot is all I need…" she chuckled under her breath. "I am the Huntress, Rip van Winkle. Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor… my bullet punishes _all_ without distinction."

The Captain let out another enraged howl, and leapt forward with the clear intent of ripping her head from her shoulders. How adorable.

"Silly creature."

In a flash of blue light, Rip's musket shot swerved through the air and raced towards the rapidly descending man. With no way to gain leverage and change direction, the recently transformed man was rendered completely helpless as the shot rammed into his left eye, popping his head open like a watermelon. His body tumbled onto the deck of the ship, and the rain of his blood lightly splashed against the tip of Rip's previously spotless shoes.

Immensely pleased with her own success, the blue-eyed vampiress reached into one of the inner pockets of her black suit and pulled out a paintbrush. Stepping forward, she dipped the bristles into the Captain's freshly spilled blood and watched as the fluid was soaked up. Footsteps gradually approached her from behind, and she turned momentarily to smile at the other vampiric officers who had traveled with her on the helicopter.

"Well done, ma'am," the largest man said.

"Oh, well thank you so much Fritz!" Rip replied cheerily. "Do you think you could ask one of your boys to get a few more bodies for me? I don't think this one man will be enough to help us christen our pretty ship."

Things were gradually falling into place. Soon, London would burn, and Hellsing would be there to watch before they too were condemned to the same fate. She hoped she could be there to see it!

After all… how often did one witness the return of a Soul Reaper?

* * *

 **Once again, I am sorry for the long break.**

 **Rest assured, I AM still working on** _ **The Legend of Earth Land"**_ **and** _ **Fibers of the Universe."**_ **I have not abandoned those stories, nor do I plan to anime soon. As I have mentioned before, sometimes life just decides to creep up on you, and you are forced to put certain things on hold.**

 **In other news… BLEACH IS COMING BACK!**

 **I REPEAT: THE** _ **'THOUSAND YEAR BLOOD-WAR ARC'**_ **IS RECEIVING AN ANIME ADAPTATION!**

 **This is absolutely insane, you guys! I honestly didn't believe it at first when I initially heard the news, but with so many different news sources talking about it as solid fact, I can now confidently say that this information is confirmed. With that said, you know I'm going to have to rewatch the entire series, lol. I can only hope the original voice cast will return. I actually got to meet Johnny Yong Bosch pretty recently, and was able to convince him to do a Hollow roar which echoed all throughout the convention hall. Pretty badass stuff.**

 **On a more serious note, I feel like I should repeat my earlier statement that is is highly important to maintain good health habits during this time. I don't personally know anyone who has contracted the coronavirus, but I would really hate to see any of you guys get sick. Wash your hands, and please practice social distancing if possible.**

 **Also… DON'T HOARD TOILET PAPER!**

 **None of the symptoms of this virus state that it will give you the Hershey Squirts, so buying idiotic amounts of bathroom tissue is completely unnecessary. If anything, it will only prevent people who need it immediately from getting it. Don't be the asshole who inadvertently forced someone else to wipe their butt with a leaf.**

 **Other than that, stay clean and safe.**

 **Now, let me go ahead and talk about something within this chapter that is bound to ruffle some feathers. Rest assured, Candice and Bambietta are still villains, but I did do my best to humanize them in some small way. There is nothing wrong with humanizing the bad guys. In fact, in my own opinion, I find that villains who are more relatable to the audience are by far the most interesting.**

 **I guess that's why RWBY has such shitty bad guys…**

 **But** _ **THAT**_ **is** **a conversation for another day, lmao. If you want to crap all over the villains in RWBY, send me a DM.**

 **But yes, Candi and Bambi are still bad, and they are still working with Millennium. Also, I** _ **know**_ **there are going to be several people who will likely criticize me for my choice of Candice's wish to find love. Keep in mind that this is a fanfiction. Yes, there will be a majority of elements from canon stories, but there are a few things here and there I will tweak to progress my own personal plot.**

 **I have seen so many other fics where the reviews are filled with nothing but criticisms about how the story is not the exact same as the source material. Look, I'm not asking you to accept absolutely everything I do and like it. However, when you are about to pass judgement on ANY fanfiction for having deviated from canon, please remember that the story you are reading is exactly that.**

 **A fanfic.**

 **Apologies if any of this sounds overly defensive, as that was not my intention. I merely wish to provide my own personal reasoning for doing certain things. Worry not, though, as Candice will still most definitely retain a very good portion of her canon personality.**

 **As mentioned before, I will be alternating between the main Hellsing storyline and Ichigo's adventures in the Underworld for the next few chapters.**

 **Unfortunately, there will not be an omake this time, as I wish to continue writing for my other stories as soon as I can. I hope you can understand.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Predator and Prey

* * *

 **Hello all!**

 **Thank you all for continuing to show such interest in this story. I could not be more grateful for the support that all of you have shown me for the past year and a half. The reason I bring this up is because someone asked me in a DM where I plan to see this story in the future. Well, as of right now, I hope that** _ **"Bloodstained Souls"**_ **will only be the first in a possible trilogy of stories. I do have future storylines already written down as a collection of notes, and I hope to fully flesh them out someday.**

 **Also, it would be absolutely incredible to see fan art for this fic in the future.**

 **But for now, let's discuss more immediate topics.**

 **So, according to several of the replies last chapter regarding my question about the Beyond Resurrección forms of the Espada, it seems as though those transformations are a result of the characters fusing with the Hōgyoku. Is that correct? I would like to be absolutely sure before I potentially write such an element into the story.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _(Karakura Town)_

Isshin breathed out a heavy sigh.

How had things ever managed to get so complicated?

All he had ever wanted was to help shape a world in which his children would be allowed to make their own choices and chase their own dreams. As of the moment, Karin and Yuzu were both lucky enough to have avoided anything that might jeopardize that. His darling daughters were able to go to school and interact with other kids their age just like any other ordinary teenagers. Ichigo, on the other hand…

Honestly, the boy was way too special for his own good.

The son of a former Shinigami Captain.

The genetic grandson of the Lady of the Sun.

And the godson of the Crimson Satan himself.

No wonder he had attracted so much attention all throughout his life thus far…

Still, even though Ichigo's exploits in the supernatural world had caused him no shortage of migraines, Isshin didn't regret having him for an instant. He loved his son with all his heart, and he sincerely hoped Ichigo would actually get the chance to decide how to live the rest of his life without any outside influence or provocation. Unfortunately, that was highly unlikely. Amaterasu's possessiveness was legendary amongst those who knew Her well, and Isshin had an unfortunate feeling that She wouldn't be willing to let go of his son all too willingly.

Shaking his head, he poured himself another cup of coffee as he continued to wait for his guest to arrive.

Said guest was _not_ someone who the Shinto Faction would appreciate being in Japan for an extended period, so Isshin had gone ahead and erected a multitude of concealment charms all over the house just to be safe. Hopefully, if the charms were as powerful as Kisuke claimed, they would prevent anyone with the ability to sense Spiritual Energy from seeing who was inside for at least two hours.

Raising his mug to his lips, the former Captain prepared to take a careful sip.

However, a sudden knock at the door stopped him in his tracks.

" _Finally_ …"

Grumbling to himself under his breath about dusty old crows, Isshin set his mug down on the nearest table and rose from his chair. Crossing the living room quickly, he approached the front door and pulled it open, glaring slightly at the man standing on his front porch.

"You're late. I really can't say I appreciate that."

"Hey, don't be too upset," Azazel chuckled in response, shrugging his shoulders carelessly. "I had to make sure I was using a teleportation spell that was weak enough to not be noticed by anyone too significant. In any case, I think I have some news that will be worth the wait."

Nodding in satisfaction, Isshin moved to close the door as his old friend entered the house. However, he paused upon noticing the additional young woman still standing outside. She had dark skin, and was dressed in a dark grey suit complete with a crisp maroon tie. Her long, dark pink hair fell down to her waistline, and her unwavering golden eyes met his own stoically. "Uh… who are you?"

"Hmm? Oh!" Grinning lopsidedly, Azazel smacked himself lightly on the forehead as if he'd forgotten something important. "Where are my manners? Isshin, this is my personal assistant, Ingrid Helknight. Don't worry, you have my word that she can be trusted."

"Hello, Captain Kurosaki," the woman spoke up, inclining her head respectfully. "Lord Azazel has told me quite a lot about you. I am humbled to be in the presence of someone who possesses your strength."

"Thank you…?"

"You are quite welcome. Might I come in?"

Nodding wordlessly, Isshin stood aside and allowed Ingrid to walk through the doorway. Closing the door behind her, he shook his head in exasperation and walked past his guests towards the living room. "Do either of you want something to drink?"

"Got any beer?"

"I would appreciate some hot tea."

Moving into the kitchen for a brief moment, the former Captain opened one of the cabinets and pulled out Masaki's favorite tea kettle. A light film of dust covered the appliance, prompting him to wash it off thoroughly before making any kind of effort to prepare Ingrid's tea. Once the water started to boil, he turned towards the fridge and pulled out a canned beer. Returning to the living room, he scowled upon noticing that Azazel had once again taken his favorite armchair. Chucking the can at the Fallen's head, he rolled his eyes when the easygoing man easily reached up and snagged the incoming projectile out of the air.

"Nice try."

Instead of bothering to respond, Isshin sat down next to Ingrid on the couch. "Your tea is brewing. It'll be done in just a minute."

The dark-skinned woman nodded pleasantly.

Picking up his own cup of coffee, Isshin moved his gaze back towards Azazel. "So, what have you managed to overhead?"

Cracking open his beverage, the dark-haired man took a decent swig before offering up a response. "Well, believe it or not, Ichigo is currently in the Underworld. My sources within the Gremory territory have informed me that Sirzechs himself actually ventured up to the Living World to ask the boy to come down for a visit."

Isshin felt like smashing his head into the nearest wall.

That ginger-haired idiot…

Whether the Crimson Satan realized it or not, Sirzechs' actions would have widespread political ramifications throughout the entirety of the supernatural world. Approaching Ichigo directly, especially during a time of such heated debate amongst the leaders of the different Factions, was basically equivalent to giving the middle finger to those who were unable to do.

 _Especially_ to Amaterasu.

Isshin had a very strong feeling that Sirzechs was likely still quite sore over the fact that he'd been legally forbidden from visiting Karakura Town for the past sixteen years. However, due to the fact that Ichigo had been in London for the past few weeks, Sirzechs now had every right to venture out of the Underworld to talk with him.

"Damn it…"

"You're telling me," Azazel chortled as he took another sip. "All of the major bigwigs have their panties all in a twist now. Zeus is threatening to wage war on the Biblical Faction, and Odin is just as royally pissed."

"What about Her Ladyship?"

"Amaterasu? Eh, you know how she is. She's been seething quietly for the past few hours, but all of that anger is bound to explode outward sooner or later. To be honest with you, I never pegged Sirzechs to be the kind to take such a gamble…"

"You think he's aware of the consequences?"

"Most likely. But you have to remember that Devils are highly prone to episodes of possessiveness and vengeance, given their basic nature. If I had to venture a guess, I'd say Sirzechs has been waiting patiently for the right moment to make a move towards your son, just to rub it in Amaterasu's face."

"That's a very dangerous game to play…"

"Oh, I know, trust me. This is why I hate politics."

Isshin sighed, reaching up to tenderly massage his temples. When he'd first suggested that Ichigo travel to Europe to work for Integra over the summer, he had never even imagined all of the trouble that might come from it. It had seemed like such an innocent idea at first, but in hindsight he supposed he _should_ have seen all of this coming. Allowing his son travel outside of Japan went directly against Amaterasu's wishes, and suggesting that he go to the territory occupied by the Biblical Faction only rubbed salt into the wound.

It hadn't even been the first time Ichigo had been outside of the country, but Europe was honestly the worst place for him to go considering the long-term rivalry between Sirzechs and Her Ladyship…

"I fucked up."

Azazel snorted. "Yeah. I'd definitely say so."

Breathing out heavily once again, Isshin pushed himself into a standing position before trudging into the kitchen to pour Ingrid's tea. After turning off the stove, he listlessly retrieved a teacup from the pantry and filled it with the steaming liquid. Returning to the living room yet again, he handed the cup off to its recipient.

"Thank you," the dark-skinned woman said politely.

Nodding tiredly, Isshin prepared to sit down. However, before he could do so, his cellphone began to chirp loudly from within his pocket. Groaning loudly, the former Captain fished it out and flipped it open, holding it up to his ear. "What is it…?"

" _We might have a problem…"_

"Kisuke? What do you mean? What's wrong?"

" _I know you're busy, but I just figured I should let you know that the sensors I have placed all along the town's border have been activated. Someone is here, and they definitely aren't part of the Shinto Faction. My equipment registers them as a human, but they're moving way too fast to be completely normal. They're also making a beeline directly towards your house."_

Eyes hardening, Isshin forced all traces of his previous annoyance out of his mind. If someone was attempting to make a move against him or his family, then they obviously didn't realize how stupid of an idea that was. "Thanks for letting me know."

" _Of course. Do you want any help?"_

"Just be on standby in case anything happens. Other than that, I'm pretty sure I'll be able to handle it."

" _If you insist. Good luck."_

The call ended, and Isshin angrily shoved his phone back into his pocket. Given the current circumstances, he wouldn't be surprised if someone had decided to try and use his daughters as leverage to force his son to join their group.

Like _that_ was ever going to happen…

"Not that I would ever admit to eavesdropping, but I couldn't help but overhear," Azazel commented. To Isshin's pleasure, the normally goofy Fallen also appeared to have also forced himself into a more serious mindset. Downing the rest of his beer in a single go, Azazel conjured up an orb of dark energy and incinerated the can. "Allow me to help you take care of this."

"I appreciate the offer, but if this bastard is coming after my family, then _I_ need to be the one to put him in his place."

"I understand that, but we are your guests. It's the least we could do to pay you back for your hospitality."

Isshin didn't reply, and instead silently weighed his options. On one hand, there was a good chance that the incoming individual _wasn't_ actually attempting to do something heinous. However, there was just as good of a chance that they were. His thoughts drifted up to his daughters, who were currently sleeping peacefully upstairs.

"Alright…" the former Captain finally relented. "We'll intercept them outside, and I'll let you handle things in the beginning. But let me warn you… if things get too serious, I won't hesitate to step in and put them to an end."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Azazel smirked, standing up and moving towards the front door. "Come along, Ingrid. Let's show this Soul Reaper how the Fallen deal with our problems."

"Yes Sir."

Rising obediently, the pink-haired woman followed her superior outside, while Isshin brought up the rear. Closing the door behind him, the former Shinigami reached into one of the pockets lining his jacket and withdrew a small green pill. Popping it into his mouth and swallowing, Isshin quickly felt foreign Reiatsu begin to flood his body. In an instant, his soul form was roughly ejected from his Gigai.

Looking down at himself, he brushed off his Shihakusho and tattered Haori before turning around to face the Artificial Soul now in control of his physical form. "How're you feeling, Kon?"

"Like a million bucks!" the lecherous spirit crowed happily, stretching his newfound limbs eagerly. "It's been _way_ too long since I've been able to inhabit a human body. That jerk Ichigo would never let me do something like this on a regular basis!"

Rolling his eyes, Isshin couldn't stop himself from smiling slightly at the Soul's genuine enthusiasm. "Just make sure to stay here and keep an eye on the place. If you do a good job, I might just be able to get my hands on a few dirty magazines for you."

"Really?! You've got a deal, boss!" Kon grinned, snapping into a shoddy excuse for a salute. "I'll hold down the fort while you and your friends go kick some ass. Say, though… who's the pink-haired chick with the giant knockers?"

"I beg your pardon?!" Ingrid shrieked indignantly.

Chuckling, Isshin patted his Gigai on the shoulder. "I'll introduce you later. Don't let me down, alright?"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

Turning away, Isshin focussed all of his Reiatsu into his leg muscles and leapt up high into the sky. Landing on the nearest rooftop, he continued putting as much distance between himself and the clinic as possible. The unmistakable sound of enormous wings being unfurled assured him to the fact that his two companions were right behind him.

"So, I take it that you plan to meet this guy head on?" Azazel questioned, flapping his twelve, jet-black wings in unison. "It's a good strategy, but how can you be sure that he won't just ignore us in favor of heading straight towards your house?"

"Now that I'm in my natural form, I can accurately sense his Spiritual Energy and locate exactly where he is in the city," Isshin replied, leaping across a gap between several buildings. "We're headed in the right direction, and I actually think I know who we're about to encounter."

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

The trio descended back into silence, and simply continued moving forward for the next few minutes. After a while, though, Isshin abruptly slid to a stop on top of a partially constructed hotel. Above him, Azazel and Ingrid merely hovered in midair.

"Where is our target?" Ingrid asked.

"Not far," Isshin replied. "In fact, he's almost here…"

As soon as the words left his mouth, a cloaked figure, heavily shadowed by the light of the moon, vaulted over the side of the building in front of them. Still in midair, the man reached into his overcoat and withdrew nearly a dozen glowing bayonets, before hurling them forward with the speed of a bullet.

Isshin effortlessly dodged the incoming blades.

Up above, both Azazel and Ingrid twirled around in the air while wrapping their wings around themselves. The bayonets harmlessly bounced off of the feathered appendages, and clattered to the concrete below.

"Anderson…" Isshin growled. "What the hell are you _doing_ here?"

The Catholic priest rose to his full height, and returned the former Soul Reaper's heated glare with an equal amount of venom. Two more bayonets slid out of both of his sleeves, and he firmly grasped them in hand in preparation to deliver another barrage. "Isshin Kurosaki… words cannot describe how much I despise you."

"And here I thought we were finally ready for that tea party we've been talking about for so long."

"You don't get to joke, heathen!" Anderson roared furiously. "I stood by while you married Masaki, even though I knew the Lord would never have tolerated such a union. Masaki was happy with you, even though you did not share her faith, and that was enough for me at the time."

"Then why come for me now, after all this time? What's changed?"

"I've seen the impact that your parenting has had on young Ichigo." The grip Anderson had on the handles of his bayonets tightened noticeably, and Isshin prepared himself for the next attack he knew was to come. "Because of _you_ , and the lack of Catholic teachings in his life, your boy has grown up to throw his lot in with Protestants and undead monsters. And now, unsurprisingly, I see that you too have chosen to associate with the vile likes of the Fallen…"

"I wouldn't be talking so high and mighty if I were you, Judas Priest." Dismissing his wings, Azazel landed on the rooftop directly next to Isshin. Despite the intensity of the situation, the Governor General casually shoved his hands into his pockets and smirked cockily. "After all, how righteous can your cause be when your God is dead…?"

" _SILENCE!"_

Another hail of bayonets was sent flying through the air, and Isshin prepared to dodge once again. However, much to his surprise, Azazel laid a calming hand on his right shoulder. "Don't worry, old friend. She's got this covered."

"She does…?"

The bayonets continued forward, but before they could reach their target, they were all suddenly shattered as a flash of gold swerved through the air. Blinking in surprise, Isshin looked up towards Ingrid, who was still hovering in the air above. A bright golden sword was held in her right hand, and she glared down at Anderson with a hatred unmatched by anything he had ever seen before.

"How dare you…" Anderson snarled. "Do you truly wish to impede my path, _vulture_?"

"I do," Ingrid replied icily.

A bright purple magic circle suddenly appeared behind her, directly between her shoulder blades. Engulfed in a shining light of the same color, her clothing morphed into something _far_ more suitable for combat. Whereas she had previously been dressed in a pristine suit, she was now clad in a set of dark black armor.

The upper half consisted of a fairly revealing breastplate that extend down towards her hips, composed of feather-shaped plates pointing upward with a large metallic eagle on the front, leaving the tops of her breasts exposed, as well as most of her stomach. Her biceps were also covered by dark metal strips, and her gauntlets sported feather-like plates on their edges, similar to her breastplate.

Her waist was encircled by large metal plates, which were also highly reminiscent of feathers, that connected to a long metallic skirt. A pair of boots adorned her feet as well, and were partially concealed by her skirt. A neck guard and a metallic tiara also rested on her upper body, and each displayed additional feather-like protrusions. To complete the ensemble, a deep maroon cape with navy accents fluttered in the wind behind her.

"Damn…" Isshin whistled impressively.

"I know, right?" Azazel grinned.

Across the roof, Anderson did _not_ appear to be as impressed. "Do you truly think such a vulgar set of armor will allow you to keep me from fulfilling my sacred duty?"

Flaring her eight wings out in a show of intimidation, Ingrid pointed her sword directly at the Exorcist. "I am certainly willing to give it a try."

Snarling, Anderson ran forward across the concrete and leapt completely over Isshin and Azazel. Reaching into his coat, he pulled out yet another set of bayonets and threw them through the air like missiles. The blades whistled loudly as they approached their target, and an ominous blue glow radiated from them under the moonlight.

With a single flap of her wings, Ingrid ascended higher into the air, and out of the path of the deadly projectiles. As her opponent prepared to reach for even more of his holy weapons, the dark-skinned Fallen Angel extended her left hand forward and positioned her palm as if she were pressing it against an invisible wall.

" **Heaven's Lost Armory: Dance of Blades"**

Instantaneously, another purple magic circle appeared on the palm of her outstretched hand. It rotated counterclockwise, and a sudden flash of light briefly obscured Ingrid's form from view. When the light died down, seven more golden swords were rotating in the air around her as if she possessed her own gravitational field.

Landing on the concrete, Anderson hissed. "Magic…"

For the first time since he'd met her, Isshin witnessed Ingrid smirk.

"An Artificial Sacred Gear, to be precise," she retorted. "It is truly an impressive thing to behold, is it not? Allow me to give you a demonstration…"

Releasing the sword in her right hand, Ingrid allowed it to join its brethren. Waving her arms through the air, it quickly became apparent that she was exercising telekinetic control over the golden weapons. Her open palms stretched outward towards Anderson, and her swords quickly followed along the same path.

Biting out a curse, the Exorcist leapt into the air and twisted his body in an attempt to avoid the incoming projectiles. However, unlike his bayonets, which were only able to fly along a straight path, Ingrid's blades were able to continuously move after their prey. Still, in an impressive display of agility for a man his size, Anderson somehow managed to avoid most of the blades without receiving too much damage.

Even so, he wasn't able to avoid them all.

Isshin watched as one of the swords carved a long line through the man's thigh.

When Anderson landed back on the roof, he unfortunately placed all of his weight on his newly-injured leg. Howling in pain, the gigantic Exorcist turned back towards to Ingrid to give her a wound in kind.

However, he was apparently unprepared for the female Fallen's speed.

In a flash of maroon, pink, and black, she sped forward and planted her left foot directly in Anderson's stomach. Spittle flew out from his mouth as he was propelled backwards, and over the edge of the roof towards the street below. Quick to follow, Ingrid flapped her wings and dove after him.

"She's strong," Isshin observed.

Azazel nodded proudly. "I taught her everything she knows. You want to go watch the fight?"

Rolling his eyes, the former Captain nodded. Stepping over the edge of the roof, he allowed gravity to carry him downward towards the continuing battle. If things continued to carry on in Ingrid's favor, then he might not even have to intervene at all.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to remain cautious.

* * *

Ingrid was well aware of who Alexander Anderson was.

Even in the Underworld, he was regarded as one of, if not _the_ most dangerous Exorcist currently in the Church's employ. Still, he was only a mortal man, even if he _did_ possess and admittedly impressive healing factor. Exorcists, while something to definitely be avoided by Devils and Fallen alike, usually only proved dangerous to those who were either too weak or inexperienced to deal with them properly.

And she was neither.

Ducking under an attempt to decapitate her, Ingrid pivoted on her right foot and brought her left one sailing forward. The top of it smashed into Anderson's right side with enough force to shatter concrete. Ingrid listened as several of his ribs broke under the impact, and the force behind the blow quickly sent him tumbling further down the street.

Thankfully, there was no one out and about to witness their battle.

Returning to a fully upright stance, Ingrid watched as her opponent crashed into a vending machine, sending sparks of electricity and cans of soda flying everywhere. He was bound to be in quite a bit of pain, but she knew he wouldn't be staying down for long. Regenerators were annoying like that…

"Surely, you must realize that this is pointless," she spoke up, fully expecting to not receive a reply. "You might be a powerful Exorcist, but I am an eight-winged Fallen. My level of power is _leagues_ above your own."

A single bayonet flew towards her.

Casually, she waved a hand and commanded one of her swords to intercept it. "If you cannot hope to defeat me, then you truly have no hope against someone like Isshin Kurosaki. Your personal mission to slay him will only end in your own death."

Struggling to stand, Anderson leveled her with a disgusted scowl. "I wouldn't expect someone of your nature to understand. I continue to fight because I have faith that my Lord in Heaven will guide and protect me. If I carry out His will, then there is _nothing_ I cannot do. You do not receive such grace, because you turned your back on Him all for the sake of Earthly pleasures."

Ingrid's eyes narrowed. Flicking her right index finger forward, she commanded three of her eight swords to fly through the air. "You know _nothing_ about me…"

Running forward, Anderson fell to his knees and slid across the tarmac underneath the blades. Once he was out of harm's way, he pushed himself back into an upright stance and leapt through the air, pulling out another pair of bayonets. "I know that your kind is despicable. You lived in Heaven, with the Lord Himself, and yet you decided to betray Him. Such an action is beyond my understanding, but I do not care to know your reasons. All I know is that you deserve the death that is coming for you."

Willing two of her swords into her hands, Ingrid braced herself and blocked the Exorcist's overhead strike. His strength was commendable for a mortal man, but it was still paltry when compared to her own. Giving a slight push, she sent him flying into the air and into the side of a nearby flower shop. Glass and brick alike crumbled as he collided with the solid surface, but the rough material still cut deep into his body.

Blood sprayed into the air, and Anderson grunted in agony.

Even so, he rose yet again.

His spirit, though misguided, was definitely admirable.

"Give up," Ingrid said flatly, releasing her twin swords and allowing them to join the others in the air. "This fight was over the moment it began."

"Perhaps…" Anderson replied. "Even so, I cannot allow myself to rest until my objective has been completed. Ichigo Kurosaki must be saved from damnation, but that particular quest will have to wait until another day. For now, though, I can still honor Masaki's memory by rescuing her daughters."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"By taking them away from this wretched place, and raising them within the safety of the Church."

As soon as the words were spoken, an immense heat filled the air. It was absolutely suffocating, and Ingrid felt rivers of sweat begin to drip down her body. Her armor, given its metallic nature, also began to scald her flesh. Releasing a pained gasp, she dismissed the protective attire and collapsed to her knees. Raising her eyes from the street, she looked up to see that Anderson was faring no better.

The blond man was on his hands and knees, panting raggedly under the blazing inferno that continued to increase in intensity with every passing moment.

"Allow me to make one thing _perfectly_ clear…"

The sentence was spoken so coldly, that despite the heat, Ingrid felt a horrified chill run down her spine. Removing her gaze form her previous opponent, she turned to look behind her. What she saw positively terrified her…

To say that Isshin Kurosaki was furious would be a gross understatement.

Each step he took turned the tarmac underneath his feet into bubbling tar. The glass windows of the shops lining both sides of the street melted away, and even the telephone poles nearby burst into flames.

The man himself was wreathed in white-hot fire. His Zanpakuto blazed like an uncontrollable wildfire, no doubt as the physical manifestation of his emotions. And his eyes…

Oh God, his _eyes._

His eyes were completely white, empty of both irises and pupils. Flames licked at the corners of the organs, and even though the direction of his gaze was no longer possible to discern, it was more than clear that his full attention was locked on Anderson.

Ingrid choked, desperate for the oxygen that was slowly being evaporated.

Thankfully, a hand suddenly found her left shoulder, and she immediately felt much better. Gasping in lungfulls of air, she looked up at Azazel, who in turn was staring at Isshin grimly. "M-My Lord, what is-"

" _That_ , my dear, is what happens when you piss off an overprotective parent."

Seemingly content to ignore them, Isshin continued marching forward. His movements were slow and steady, which only served to make his fury even more terrifying. Soon enough, he was standing directly in front of Anderson. By this point, the Exorcist was lying face-first on the street, violently heaving in a desperate attempt to breathe properly.

Slowly, Isshin reached down and yanked the prone man up by his hair. He continued to hoist him up until they were eye to eye. Only then, did he open his mouth to speak.

"Ichigo is a strong young man, and I have full confidence that he will be able to stand on his own fairly soon. My daughters, on the other hand, are a different story. They have a bit of Spiritual Awareness, but they are still able to live their lives like ordinary children. My son does not have that luxury, but he seems okay with that."

Anderson choked, and Ingrid watched in horror as the skin on the blond man's face began to boil and blister under the intense heat radiating off of the former Captain. His clothing also caught fire in a few places, but Isshin didn't even seem to notice. Or if he did, he certainly didn't care.

"I know how you feel about me, Anderson," the dark-haired man continued. "I know that you think I am an idiotic, ignorant fool who doesn't possess a care in the world. Let me assure you that you are very wrong. Granted, I know how to relax and have fun, but I can still be _very_ serious when I need to. I honestly think you've been underestimating me for quite some time."

Pulling Anderson so close that their noses brushed together, Isshin looked him directly in the eye. "If you _ever_ come near my girls again… if you ever come into Karakura Town again… there will not be enough prayer in the world that will be able to save you from me. I will _BURN_ you, do you understand? I'll incinerate you into ashes, and there won't any way for you to heal. I don't want to kill you, but I will if I need to. Now… get the hell out of my town."

Throwing the Exorcist to the ground, Isshin allowed the flames cloaking his body to disappear.

As soon as he did so, Ingrid felt Azazel remove his hand from her should. Had he been casting a protection spell on her all this time? If he had, then she was certainly grateful. She wasn't sure how much more of that heat she could've taken before succumbing to it completely.

From his place on the ground, Anderson hacked and coughed violently. The burns all over his body slowly began to heal, and gradually his breathing returned to normal. Even so, it was more than apparent that he was still feeling some effects of the intimidation display.

Uneasily, the Exorcist forced himself into an upright stance. "Do you truly wish to keep your children from entering Heaven, Isshin?"

"I _want_ them to be with their family, when their time comes," the aforementioned man replied. "I have relatives within Soul Society, and I know they'll be more than welcoming to me and my children when it's time for us to depart from the Living World."

"Masaki was Catholic…"

"And now she's dead. She is not in Heaven, nor is she in Soul Society. She was consumed by a Hollow, and I avenged her by killing the monster three years ago. The only family my children have left are those already in Soul Society. So, yes, I am content with knowing that they won't be able to enter your version of the afterlife."

Anderson's glare deepened even further. "She would be _ashamed_ of you."

Isshin shook his head. "No. She would be ashamed of _you._ "

The two men held eye contact for several more moments, before finally Anderson turned away and began walking off down the street. "Have it your way. You have my word that I will no longer attempt to enter the boundaries of Karakura Town, but that still won't stop me from trying to help your son."

"You have my word that he will be more than capable of fighting you off when the time comes."

Without another word, Alexander Anderson disappeared from view.

* * *

 _(Hellsing Manor)_

"We keep killing them, and yet they keep coming back. You have to admit that their tenacity is something to be admired."

Chuckling deeply, Alucard kept his eyes focused upon the contents of his wine glass. Swirling the mixture of alcohol and blood around slowly, he raised it to his lips and took a small sip before deigning to respond. "Let them keep coming. We'll just keep killing them. Truly, Walter, it is that simple." Placing the glass down on the small table next to his chair, the elder vampire crossed his left leg over the right and folded his hands in his lap, all while maintaining a positively feral grin. "However, I must admit that it _is_ rather nice to have a new piece on the board. At least it isn't just the two of us this time."

Standing several feet in front of him, Walter breathed out a sigh. "Yes, I suppose you are right. That reminds me, though… there _is_ something I've been meaning to ask you…"

"Yes? Go on."

"Why did you turn Seras into a vampire? It just seems so out of character. You understand my curiosity, yes?"

Why indeed?

It had been nearly five centuries since he'd last attempted to take on a fledgling. And his previous experience in that area had turned out to be quite awful. Even so, something within his blackened heart had prompted him to offer Seras the chance to walk the path of everlasting darkness. Expression sobering, Alucard allowed his crimson eyes to travel to the cobblestone floor as he pondered over the right answer to the question. "It honestly wasn't my decision to make. It was _hers_." Reaching over to pick up his spectacles, he gingerly placed them on the bridge of his nose. "Tell me, have you met her family yet?"

Walter hummed lowly. "No. She is an orphan."

"Of _course_ she is. Beneath that girlish exterior, lies a truly fascinating and complicated creature. She was completely abandoned to a town of death. Her coworkers were transformed into hungry, mocking visages of evil. A sadistic vampire was hunting her down, with the sole intention to _rape_ and _kill_ her. It was as close to Hell as a living being can get."

The memory caused something utterly wonderful to flood his senses, and Alucard once again permitted himself to grin wildly. Standing up, he threw his head back in a deranged laugh and clapped his hands ecstatically. "And even after all of that, what did she do? What fate did she choose? Giving up is what kills people, dear Walter. Those who refuse to give up are completely entitled their time to trample on their weaker brethren."

Walter's lips quirked up into the smallest of smiles. "So now you're just waiting for her to drink blood, is that right?"

"All in good time. Eventually, she'll drink."

"Hmm. And what of young Master Ichigo? What are your current thoughts on him?"

Now _that_ was another matter entirely.

The Ghost Boy was essentially powerless at the current moment, but he could still hold his own well enough in a fight against hordes of Ghouls. However, there was undoubtedly something more trapped beneath the young man's outer shell. A creature, desperate to claw its way out and obliterate all that stood in its path. Still, only time would tell if Ichigo would be capable of containing such a monstrosity.

"I have a feeling we will see his full potential soon enough," Alucard finally replied. "There are so many warring energies contained within that child's soul. When I first laid eyes on him, I sensed divinity. However, I also sensed something utterly chaotic and uncontrollable. And even still, there was something else buried much deeper… something bright and pure."

"You think he will come into his power soon?"

"Almost _certainly…"_

* * *

Seras glared hatefully at the bowl of soup in front of her.

It looked so delicious.

Even so, whenever she tried to stomach the smallest of mouthfuls, bile would immediately rise up in her throat. It tasted as if she was trying to swallow actual acid. Breathing out a heavy sigh, the blonde reluctantly picked up her spoon once again and scooped up a tiny amount of broth. Bringing the utensil to her lips, she tentatively stuck out her tongue and pressed it into the brown liquid.

Her mouth immediately felt like it was on fire.

Blue eyes widening, Seras dropped the spoon down into the bowl and fell into a fit of hacking coughs. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, and she desperately brought a hand to her mouth in an attempt to force down the vomit she could feel lingering at the back of her throat.

It wasn't _fair_!

She was well aware of the fact that she had no real right to complain. After all, she had been the one to accept her Master's offer to join the ranks of the undead. She accepted that she was no longer human, but she still didn't want to drink human blood. The mere thought of doing so caused the vomit in her throat to rise higher.

The tears in her eyes slowly trailed down her cheeks, and Seras turned to look out the enormous window to her immediate right. The moon shone down upon her, as if attempting to mock her. Whereas she was once fully able to walk in the warmth of the sun, she was now eternally tied to the light of the moon, as well as the darkness it occupied.

The door to the dining room suddenly creaked open, and Seras turned in surprise to watch as Integra entered the room. As per usual, a cigar was clenched between her teeth, and a cloud of smoke hung heavily in the air around her face. "What the hell are you trying to accomplish?"

"S-Sir…?"

"You're not human anymore, Seras. Attempting to force yourself to stomach mortal food will only make you weaker in the long run. Aren't you hungry?"

"Well… I… yes Ma'am…"

A bag of blood was thrown down onto the table in front of her. As the contents held within sloshed around violently, Seras felt an inescapable urge to rip and tear into the plastic. Even though the blood was sealed inside, her heightened senses allowed her to smell the intense, coppery aroma it emitted.

It smelled… _good_.

"Drink," Integra commanded impassively. "If you continue to defy your basic necessities, you will only deteriorate with each passing day until you are nothing more than a skeletal monstrosity. Personally, I highly doubt Ichigo would appreciate seeing you in such state."

"But, I…"

"If you won't drink donated blood, then perhaps I can compel you to try a different approach."

Walking forward until she was standing directly next to Seras' chair, Integra reached down and picked up one of the knives placed on the table. Then, much to the vampiress' shock, the older woman slashed her right index finger with the blade.

A small drop of blood pooled out.

Her hunger immediately intensified.

"If you are able to resist this, then I will truly be impressed," Integra said, smirking ever so slightly. "Not even Alucard himself has ever been able to refuse pure virgin blood, no matter _who_ it comes from. To a vampire, I imagine this is equivalent to an addictive supplement. Now please, make sure my finger doesn't get infected… kiss it better for me."

"But Sir!"

" _Do it_. I'm not asking you, Miss Victoria. I am giving you a direct order."

Reluctantly, Seras opened her mouth and extended her tongue. She watched anxiously as Integra slowly moved her injured finger forward, yet as soon as the digit pressed against her tongue, a rush of adrenaline filled her entire body. It felt as if every single one the pleasure sensors in her system were lit on fire all at once. Her employer's blood coated the inside of her mouth, and Seras quickly began to eagerly lap up every last drop.

Her previous exhaustion melted away, and was replaced with newfound energy.

After a moment, Integra gently pulled away.

Seras let out a whimper.

"Do you feel any better?"

"Y-Yes… thank you very much…"

"You're quite welcome. Now gear up and be ready for deployment. We've recently lost contact with the Aircraft Carrier _Eagle_ , and we've responded under the assumption that it is Millennium's doing."

Her strength restored, Seras felt herself gradually begin to drift into a much better mood. Rising from her chair, she smiled brightly and snapped into a respectful salute. "Yes, Sir!"

Hopefully, wherever Ichigo was, he was doing alright.

* * *

 _(London, England; Later that Morning)_

It had been quite some time since Integra had last been in Her Majesty's war room.

All around her, men and woman alike bustled back and forth, relaying pieces of sensitive information and carrying out whatever orders they had been assigned. Other individuals sat at massive computers, keeping a constant eye on the territory surrounding the Queen's empire. Still, as impressive as it all was, the Hellsing Matriarch forced herself to focus solely on the collection of men seated at the table before her.

"What is our current situation?"

Across the table, Sir Penwood folded his hands atop the polished wooden surface. "As you already know, we lost contact with the _HMS Eagle_ approximately eighteen hours ago. As of the moment, our satellites have confirmed that she is anchored three-hundred kilometers off the coast of Pocklington Bay." Turning to the man standing directly behind his chair, Penwood gave a subtle nod.

Nodding back in kind, the uniformed man placed a manila folder on the conference table. Opening it, he revealed several photographs of what appeared to be satellite photos of the missing craft.

Integra's lip curled in disgust upon noticing the bright red swastika painted on the main deck. "So… I supposed this is proof enough that the ship has been overtaken by Millennium's forces?" she questioned rhetorically, breathing out a thick cloud of smoke.

"Indeed," Penwood acknowledged. "That is why we decided to contact you, Sir Hellsing. The situation aboard the _Eagle_ has moved far outside of the Royal Navy's jurisdiction."

"Anything else?"

"Yes Ma'am," the man behind Penwood spoke up again. "The _Eagle_ has ignored every attempt we have made to establish emergency communications. However, magnified satellite images have revealed the presence of a lone individual on deck holding a parasol. Two SAS Platoons are currently approaching the ship by helicopter in order to further assess the situation and hopefully bring things to a resolution."

"That was a poor decision…"

"I beg your pardon?" Penwood replied, raising a brow.

Narrowing her eyes, Integra reached forward with a hand and placed her index finger on the pile of photographs. "General, the men you've deployed are _not_ prepared to deal with what is out there. I highly recommend that you contact them immediately and order them to withdraw."

"Sir Hellsing, I assure you that-"

"Sir!" a uniformed woman sitting at one of the many computers suddenly called out. "Both of our aircrafts have been shot down!"

"What?!" Penwood exclaimed. "Did the _Eagle_ open fire on them?"

"No Sir. It appears as though someone fired from the main deck itself. They reported only hearing a single musket shot."

"Preposterous!" one of them men at the table cried out, standing up and slamming an enclosed fist down on the wooden surface. "There isn't a handheld weapon in existence that possessed the power to take down two helicopters flying so far apart!"

Scowling, Integra rose to her feet and turned to head towards the main doors leading out of the room. Walter, who had been standing silently beside her chair throughout the entire meeting, moved to follow her as well.

"What do you plan to do, Sir Hellsing?" Penwood asked nervously.

Pausing at the question, the blonde woman turned slightly to look her father's longtime friend in the eye. It was quite apparent that the stress of the situation was starting to get to the man; beads of sweat dripped down his face, and Integra managed to notice the way his frame quivered slightly. "Worry not, General. The Hellsing Organization is under direct orders from Her Majesty to exterminate any kind of supernatural threat that raises its head within our borders. Due to the fact that our current problem is the work of vampires, my people will be sure to handle the situation with _extreme_ prejudice. Do you have anything to add?"

To her pleasure, Sir Penwood's expression immediately hardened. "No Ma'am. I am handing over complete control of this operation to the Hellsing Organization. Happy hunting, my dear."

Allowing herself the smallest of smirks, Integra turned once again and exited the room.

For several minutes, she and Walter walked the hallways leading to the building's main exit in complete silence. After a while, though, Integra stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder towards her retainer. "Would you like to provide any input, Walter? With your military history, I would appreciate anything you might have to say."

The elderly man smiled wryly. "Well, the people aboard the _Eagle_ aren't launching any offensive attacks, but they seem more than willing to defend themselves when the need arises. It's textbook, Ma'am. The way I see it, it appears as though they are actively trying to lure us in. That ship is quite literally a floating fortress, though, so a straightforward assault is out of the question."

"I don't suppose we could just ignore the damned thing? How do we deal with a ship full of Ghouls? Moving vampires across large bodies of water is incredibly problematic. The situation hinders their movements, and thus ours as well. I suppose we could try sending Alucard and Seras in on our _own_ battleship."

"I'm afraid I don't see that working out in our favor, Miss. Between the preparation and the voyage, it would take far too long to accomplish anything significant. In any case, I would not recommend that we count on the _Eagle_ to stay put. Perhaps a faster vessel?"

"Walter… they have high caliber anti-aircraft weaponry, as _well_ as Gatling guns aboard that ship. A speed boat would be shredded by a hail of bullets. What about dropping them in from above?

"No, that wouldn't work either," Walter countered, shaking his head regretfully. "As you said, the _Eagle_ is stocked with anti-aircraft ordinance. We wouldn't be able to get anywhere near the target. Perhaps we could use an airplane with a lot of decoy chaff?"

"No… even that wouldn't be enough to fool those damn magic bullets."

The shadows on the nearest wall suddenly began to melt, and Integra watched as they morphed together to gradually form the familiar shape of Alucard. "So, what you're saying is… against their stockpiles of missiles and magic bullets, your only hope is to find a vehicle fast enough to get me directly onto the flight deck of that ship?"

Breathing out heavily, Integra closed her eyes in mild frustration. "That may not be possible…"

"No, wait!" Walter exclaimed. "It's brilliant! I believe I might actually know of an aircraft that can get you onboard. However, if I recall correctly, there is currently only one in existence."

Opening her eyes again, Integra arched a brow curiously. However, the giddy smile stretched across Walter's face did absolutely nothing to soothe her nerves. Sparing a glance at Alucard, she felt those nerves immediately intensify upon seeing his positively shark-like grin.

This could not end well…

* * *

 _(The Atlantic Ocean; Two Hours Later)_

It was pathetic, really.

Grinning widely, Rip van Winkle watched as three more of the fighter jets sent to destroy her ship fell into the dark abyss of the ocean. Her magic bullet streaked through the air in a flash of silver, darting over the surface of the water and back towards its mistress. As it approached her, the bullet's speed slowed considerably, and Rip casually reached out to catch it between her thumb and index fingers when it flew close enough.

"Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor…"

Putting the bullet back in her suit's pocket for safekeeping, she twirled her musket around and danced to a silent tune. Oh, the Major would be so happy with her! For the past day, she had successfully defended the _Eagle_ from every single attempt the British Empire had made to repossess it.

In the waters below, she imagined that those who'd dared to oppose her were being torn apart by sharks. It was such a wonderful mental image!

Humming to herself, Rip turned her crystal blue gaze skyward.

Hopefully, once she returned to base, the Major would be willing to tell His Majesty that she had carried out her duties down to the letter. Then, and only then, would she possibly be able to receive the reward she so desperately longed for. Smiling happily at the thought, Rip's train of though was suddenly broken when she noticed something streaking through the clouds up above.

Squinting in an attempt to get a better look, her heart seized up in horror as a sudden realization dawned on her. It was a jet-black aircraft, but that wasn't what caused the terror in her heart to take hold. She could _feel_ who was piloting the craft, and she could sense that his goal was to bring nothing but absolute destruction to everyone on board. "H-He… he's here!" Collapsing to her knees, Rip's entire body shook in fear as she witnessed the craft change course and launch into a downward dive. "He has come for me!"

Alucard…

Hellsing's monster.

The ship's alarm began to wail loudly through the loudspeaker.

Her men began to scream in panic.

The enormous Gatling guns, positioned on both the bow and the stern of the vessel, slowly pointed upwards and began to unleash an unholy rain of ammunition. As they continued to release Hell upon the demon who was creeping ever closer, Rip narrowed her eyes and forced herself to once again find her resolve.

"No! I will not die here today!" Loading her musket, she fell flat on her back and pointed her precious weapon upward, training it directly on the cockpit of the rabidly descending aircraft. "Tinker, tailor, soldier, sailor… my bullet punishes all without distinction!" Firing her gun, Rip watched with giddy pleasure as its magic bullet tore across the open sky and smashed directly into the nose of the approaching plane.

The projectile ripped through the vehicle's outer surface over and over again, coming back around nearly a dozen times to utterly decimate the individual held within. Finally, the plane was engulfed in a fiery explosion, and only then did Rip summon her bullet back down to herself.

The cheering of her men echoed in the background, and the Millennium agent felt her smile widen. She had done it! She had killed the demon! He was no more… not even _Alucard_ could survive such a-

Her victory died a horrifyingly ugly death.

To her renewed horror, Rip witnessed the remnants of the aircraft become cloaked in a cloud of deep red shadows. The darkness stretched outward in every conceivable direction, and even with the distance between Alucard and herself, Rip could still feel his chaotic power taunting and corrupting her every thought.

There was no hope.

He was here for her.

He would kill her.

Kill her!

 _Kill her!_

 _KILL HER!_

The world went silent for a brief moment, before quickly becoming engulfed in a positively ear-rupturing explosion. Alucard's aircraft _smashed_ into the main deck of the _Eagle_ at Mach Eight, which of course had the effect of causing a chain reaction of explosive fires to ignite all across the ship. Debris rained through the air and into the sea below, and through the veil of fear that had settled upon her, Rip idly registered the sound of several of her compatriots screaming in agony as they were set ablaze.

Through it all, the shadows continued to writhe as if they possessed a consciousness of their own. In all likelihood, they probably _did._

From the wreckage of the flaming plane, pieces of warped and melting metal were thrown aside as Alucard himself emerged. His ebony hair, long as it was, blew ominously in the wind generated by the force of the explosion. His overcoat, blood red in color and littered with tattered holes, fluttered likewise. Cast in shadows and dressed in red, the elder vampire truly did look like a demon.

However, more terrifying that anything, were his _eyes._

And not just those on his face.

All over his torso, blood red eyes blinked open. And, of course, every single one of them was focused directly upon her. Frozen in fear, Rip found herself helpless as Alucard began to slowly walk forward across the blazing deck. Flames licked at his body, but they didn't seem to burn him at all. Clutching her musket like a child might with their favorite stuffed animal, Rip took an involuntary step back as her bane came to stop but a scant few feet in front of her.

Raising one of his gloved hands, Alucard reached out towards her.

Thankfully, though, he was suddenly peppered with gunfire before he could so much as lay a single finger on her. Blinking her way out of her horrified paralysis, Rip regained enough sense to turn and dash away from the Hellsing monstrosity as her men continued to empty their machine guns into him. Alucard's flesh was shredded, his bones were obliterated, and his clothing was destroyed beyond repair.

Even still, Rip did not dare to turn back.

As she continued to put more and more distance between herself and her psychological tormentor, she couldn't help but think back to a conversation she'd once held with the Major. They had chatted about her favorite opera, _Der Freischütz._ Curiously enough, the Major had told her that she was very much like the main character of Kaspar, due to their shared personality and choice of weapon. At the time, he had even informed her that he believed she would ultimately meet her end the same way Kaspar did… by being devoured as punishment for her numerous sins.

Only now did she truly understand what her superior officer had meant.

Was she truly doomed to become food for Alucard…?

No.

No!

No, _gottverdammt_!

That would not be her destiny!

Snarling, Rip reached underneath the collar of her suit and grasped the silver swastika pendant that hung around her neck. "I… I am the Huntress!" In the background, she heard what remained of her unit scream in agony as they were no doubt destroyed by Alucard. The thought only served to further fuel her rage. Turning around, Rip raised her musket and pointed it directly at her fellow vampire, who was finishing up with the process of healing his wounds. "Who are you, to come in her and terrorize me? I am not afraid of the likes of you!"

Alucard's lip pulled up into a smile, and the sound of his baritone chuckling filled the air. "You should be…"

"Screw you! I am Rip van Winkle! I am Sternritter H: The Huntress, and I _always_ get my prey!"

Firing of a shot, she commanded her silver-encrusted magic bullet to make a beeline straight for the middle of Alucard's forehead. The male vampire's head snapped back as the projectile made contact, spraying blood into the air and forcing its way through his skull and brain tissue. When it erupted from the back of his head, Rip commanded the bullet to swerve around and make another pass though his spinal cord.

Again and again, it cut through his body. Bloody holes filled his torso, and soon enough even one of his arms fell free in a cascading waterfall of bodily fluids.

The remaining arm rose with a pistol in hand, and fired off several rounds of blessed ammunition. Rip smirked victoriously as the incoming projectiles bounded harmlessly off of her _Blut Vene_. This was so pathetic! How in the world had Alhambra managed to fall in battle against this pathetic excuse of a vampire? After everything she'd heard, she had expected her inevitable encounter with Alucard to prove more challenging.

"Is this really the best you can do, monster?" she cackled gleefully, writhing with unabashed pleasure as her opponent's legs gave out underneath him. "Where is the power you used to kill the Valentines? Where is the power you used to kill Tubalcain? If you're going to give me a fight, then at least be courteous enough to make it entertaining!"

"Entertaining, you say…?"

Insane laughter filled the air, and despite her newfound confidence, Rip found herself taking an instinctual step back. "What in the hell is so funny? I'm beating you!"

"I wouldn't go that far, little mongrel," Alucard sneered. Shadows cast by the flickering flames around them abandoned their natural positions and joined the swirling mass of the Hellsing vampire's chaotic Spiritual Energy. Slowly but surely, his multitude of grievous wounds began to heal. "It seems as though you have yet to realize that those who impersonate the dead are _doomed_ to join their ranks. Don't worry, though… I'll be killing you shortly."

"Die! Die and go to Hell!"

Yet again, her magic bullet screamed through the air. This time, it struck Alucard directly in the center of his chest. A cascade of blood erupted from the point of impact, but the bullet still did not stop until it emerged from directly between the elder vampire's shoulder blades. Rip grinned like a woman gone mad upon hearing the sound of Alucard's spinal cord shattering.

"Again!" she commanded.

The bullet made an additional pass, carving a path through her opponent's kneecap.

"Again!"

A gloved hand was eviscerated.

"Again!"

The opposite arm fell into two pieces.

"Again!"

Alucard was sent careening back towards the edge of the ship as the bullet entered through his mouth and slammed into the back of his throat. Bone and brain matter exploded across the deck as the enchanted projectile forced itself to emerge from the back of his head.

Laughing with triumph, Rip leaned forward eagerly. "You were never a match for me!"

Sending another silent order to her bullet, she commanded it to make one final swerve that would carry enough force to finally launch Alucard off of the edge of the _Eagle's_ deck and into the cold abyss below. Once there, he would never pose a problem to anyone ever again.

However, just as the bullet flew close enough, Alucard moved so quickly that even Rip's enhanced vision had somewhat of a problem tracking his movements. Even still, as a new surge of horror took hold of her at what she saw, part of her sincerely wished she hadn't been able to see it in the first place. In an absolutely impossible display of agility, Alucard actually lashed out and _caught_ her magic bullet with his _teeth_.

"No! H-How?!"

The Hellsing vampire's lips upturned into an absolutely feral grin. As he bit down on her bullet, Rip's shock multiplied exponentially when he actually managed to shatter it. Spitting out the silver shards, Alucard never brought his gaze away from her own. "Guess what I just caught, little Quincy?" Despite the intensity of the flames roaring around them, the darkness in the area seemed to increase as the eldritch creature took a slow step forward. "I just caught… _you_."

Paralysis overtook her.

A silent scream tried to claw its way out of her throat.

Clutching her now useless musket like a lifeline, Rip backpedalled like her life depended on it.

She had never been very good at using anything other than her signature weapon. Even her best attempts to conjure up Spirit Arrows were often met with failure. Over the past seventy years, her gun had become a crutch, one which her comrades within Millennium had often told her would get her killed one day.

In a desperate fit, she threw her musket to the deck and raised her hands to summon a collection of Spirit Energy from the surrounding air. The bright blue particles, which were of course ever present, slowly moved towards her open palms and began to take the shape of a poorly constructed bow. Crying out in terror as her pursuer took several more steps forward, Rip drew back on an invisible drawstring and released a single Heilig Pfeil.

The projectile soared through the air, and struck Alucard in the center of his stomach. However, even though the Heilig Pfeil hit its mark without any trouble, it still dissolved into nothingness a few seconds after impact.

Alucard laughed maniacally. "Is that the best you can do, little Quincy? Your friend in Brazil proved to be _much_ more troubling than you have thus far."

A fist lashed out, catching her in the left cheek. Crying out in a mixture of shock and pain, Rip had barely any time to register what had happened before she was launched off her feet and into the nearest wall. The metal warped under the force of the impact, she screamed again when the jagged surface ripped through her suit and tore into her back.

Scrunching her eyes shut in pain, Rip felt all of her remaining strength seep out of her body. Opening a single blue eye, she did her best to focus on her tormentor through the flood of tears that were beginning to spill down her cheeks.

Bending down briefly, Alucard picked up her discarded musket before continuing with his approach. In a matter of moments, he stood before her, cloaked in shadows and silhouetted by both the fires all around them and the light of the moon above. Slowly, he raised her weapon and pressed the tip of its barrel against her chest and directly over her heart. His remaining hand wrapped around her throat, preventing her from making any sort of an attempt to escape.

And then she felt it.

The pressure.

Her _Blut Vene_ held fast for a moment, before ultimately giving way.

A gasp escaped her as her beloved weapon first tore through her clothing, and then slowly forced its way past her skin and into the mass of muscle underneath. Kicking wildly and flailing her arms like a wild animal, Rip screamed in agony as the musket continued pressing forward. Her efforts proved pointless. Muscle ripped, bone shattered, and the weapon continued unimpeded towards her heart.

With a final push, Alucard shoved it completely through her torso. The very tip emerged from between her shoulder blades, and Rip threw her head back as her heart burst like a blood-filled water balloon.

The pain was beyond description.

Spots filled her vision.

She barely registered the sensation of fangs penetrating the side of her throat.

A tugging sensation filled her body. It was like a hook had settled in her chest, and was dragging her out of her physical form. Was this what it felt like to die?

No…

She knew in the back of her mind that she was not going to die in the conventional way.

She was doomed to an eternity that was far worse.

Releasing a final breath, Rip locked her crystalline gaze upon a distant star as she felt her body break down completely. The final thought that passed through her mind as she was absorbed into Alucard's essence was of her favorite opera…

 _Der Freishütz._

* * *

 _(Location Unknown)_

"May I speak freely, Major…?"

"But of course, Herr Doktor! Please, tell me what troubles you."

"Why not permit me to activate the First Lieutenant's kill switch? Surely, it would have been a much better fate than what she will be forced to endure now."

"And how could I do such a thing to the poor girl?" the Major responded, smiling in pleasure as he continued to watch Rip van Winkle's demise on the enormous monitor positioned on the wall before him. The secret camera that Schrödinger had managed to sneak onboard was working quite wonderfully. "No, I certainly couldn't do that. The Lieutenant deserved nothing less than the death she received. After all, as I once told her, she plays the same role as Kaspar in this story. Tell me, Doktor… do you know what became of Kaspar at the end of _Der Freishütz_?"

"He falls victim to Samiel, correct?"

"Precisely! The only true way to honor the First Lieutenant's work is to allow her finale to play out in the exact same way as Kaspar's. Given that Alucard is Samiel, does it not make sense to allow him to consume her?"

"I suppose you have a point there, Herr Major."

Chuckling at the noticeable mirth carried in his compatriot's tone, the Major rose from his chair and turned around to face the collection of SS officers assembled in the war room. Positioned upon a raised platform in the manner that he was, he was able to look over the entirety of the group. At the base of the platform, the Captain, who stood as silent as ever, tore his own gaze away from the screen to look the Major in the eye.

The rest of the soldiers behind him extended their right arms in a unified salute.

The portly man grinned. "My dear friends! Let us honor our fallen comrade in the best way that we can. She fulfilled her role down to the letter, and I think it would only be appropriate to give her a proper sendoff. Through her sacrifice, we have managed to take one step closer to bringing Alucard to submission. _Auf Wiedersehen_ , First Lieutenant!"

At the back of the room, a muscular, scythe-wielding woman slammed the butt of her weapon against the floor. The sound echoed throughout the enclosed space, and the collection of gathered officers mimed the action by stomping their feet a single time.

" _Auf Wiedersehen,"_ Zorin Blitz repeated.

" _AUF WIEDERSEHEN!"_ the soldiers parroted in unison.

Smiling widely, the Major raised both his hands and closed his eyes. Turning to face the ceiling, he released a rather pleased breath. Everything was going exactly according to plan. It was all just as His Majesty had predicted. Soon, Alucard would be no more, and London would fall to Millennium's collective might.

And what was more…

Ichigo Kurosaki would be reborn in _Hellfire._

It would be such a glorious thing to witness.

* * *

 **Another chapter finished.**

 **I have to admit, though, I am just a little unsatisfied with several of the scenes depicting canon events that happened within the** _ **Hellsing**_ **storyline. As I watched the OVA, and wrote down what I have, I discovered that although the animated scenes themselves may be quite long, putting them on paper takes up relatively little space. When I say this, I mean that most of the purely** _ **Hellsing**_ **scenes in this chapter were rather brief compared to everything else.**

 **Even so, I am not too dissatisfied.**

 **I'm happy with what I have.**

 **On another note, did you all enjoy seeing 'Papa Bear Mode' Isshin Kurosaki? To be completely realistic, Anderson would stand little to no chance against someone of Isshin's level of strength. That was why I depicted the scene in the way I did. If Papa Kurosaki can take on Aizen, then he can certainly handle an Exorcist without too much trouble. The only reason I even had Anderson** _ **try**_ **to take him on was because, like I stated in the chapter, he has been underestimating Isshin for quite some time.**

 **Also, do you guys like Ingrid?**

 **For the purposes of this story, she is technically an OC, but her physical appearance is based off something that already exists. For those of you who are aware of what the source material for her is, let me assure you that I am simply a fan of her design.**

 **Lmao. *Pulls on collar nervously***

 **To give a bit of context, Ingrid is as strong as an upper-level Shinigami Lieutenant.**

 **Additionally, I would also like to say that I am aware that Rip van Winkle's fight with Alucard was a lot less intense than the one he had with Tubalcain Alhambra. Even in the OVA, she is basically paralyzed with fear for the duration of their encounter, and when Alucard destroys her magic bullet, Rip is essentially demoralized to the point where she is no longer able to put up a fight.**

 **Other than that, I don't really think I have too much else to say.**

 **Hopefully, either** _ **"The Legend of Earth Land"**_ **or** _ **"Fibers of the Universe"**_ **will be updated next. Honestly, I feel like I should go with the latter, especially when one considers that it was my first story and only has seven published chapters. But, we'll see what happens.**

 **Wash your hands and stay indoors.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _Omake_

* * *

 _(Six years ago; Nantahala, NC)_

"Wait here while I go fill out the paperwork, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Mhm."

"Whatever."

Isshin smiled, before turning around to enter the Recreational Center.

Folding his arms across his chest, Ichigo scowled and looked across the dirt road at the enormous cluster of trees before him. When his dad had decided to surprise them all with a family vacation, he had expected to go somewhere like Kyoto or out in the countryside. Traveling to America of all places had been the furthest thing from his mind.

The people were weird here…

They talked funny, they acted funny, and quite a few of them were fat.

Still, the change in scenery didn't seem to upset his sisters in the slightest. If anything, they actually seem _happy_ to be so far away from home. Sitting next to him on the wooden bench, both Karin and Yuzu enthusiastically munched away of their chocolate fudge popsicles. For whatever reason, the man behind the desk of the Recreational Center had given the sweet treats away for free. Then, one thing had led to another and their dad had been talked into renting a pontoon boat.

Ichigo would admit, things were certainly peaceful up here in the mountains, but he still would have rather be back at home.

"Why are you so mad?" Karin suddenly asked. "That man offered you a popsicle, but you said no. Do you not wanna be here?"

"What?!" Yuzu gasped, evidently scandalized by the mere suggestion. "How could you not like this place, Ichigo? All the flowers are really pretty, our cabin is awesome, and the people here are super friendly!"

"I know…" Ichigo replied, scowling even further. "I just don't like being so far away from Japan. I keep getting this feeling like something is gonna happen."

"Huh? What're you talking about?"

"Just forget it…"

Gravel crunched to their left, and the three Kurosaki siblings all turned as one to look over at the young girl that had seemingly materialized out of thin air. She was studying a map tacked to the building intently, and looked to be about Ichigo's age.

"Hello!" Yuzu called out cheerily.

The mystery girl spun to face them.

Ichigo immediately frowned at her odd appearance.

She was dressed in varying shades of the exact same color. Dark grey cargo pants covered her legs, and even darker boots adorned fit feet. Her upper half was covered by a light silver jacket, which possessed a hood lined with sparse white fur. However, it was not necessarily her choice of attire that caused Ichigo the most concern. More than anything, he felt himself tense up upon noticing the bow slung over her shoulders, and the fully stocked quiver secured to her back.

"Hello there…" the dark-haired girl replied cautiously. Her eyes moved away from Yuzu momentarily and met Ichigo's scrutinizing glare. To his surprise, she returned the expression in full. The glaring match only lasted for a moment, though, and she quickly looked back towards his sisters. "I must apologize. I didst not see thou sitting there."

Yuzu cocked her head to the side, before bursting into a quiet fit of giggles. "You talk funny! Where are you from?"

The girl frowned, obviously mildly insulted. "I do not see anything wrong with my manner of speech. 'Tis elegant and proper, just like the English language should be spoken. In response to your additional inquiry… I hail from the nearby town."

"Huh…?"

"She means she's from around here," Ichigo cut in. The girl's gaze turned to him once again, and their previous glaring continued. "But if that's true, then why the heck are you looking at a map of the area? A local should already be familiar with the landscape."

"Did I ask thee for thy input, _boy_?" the girl hissed back, saying the final word with a strange amount of venom. "If thou must know, my sisters and I are merely staying in the aforementioned settlement. We do not truly reside locally."

"My sister is right. You _do_ talk funny."

" _I DO NOT!"_

Waving the outburst off carelessly, Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say…"

"By the gods, thou art infuriating beyond measure!"

"And you're acting like you have a stick up your- _OUCH_!"

Bending down to rub his aching shin, Ichigo glared angrily at Karin. His dark-haired sister shrugged carelessly, before turning back to face their strange new acquaintance. "Don't mind my brother. He can be a bit of a butthead at times."

"Hey!"

The girl snickered unabashedly. "I can easily see the truth carried within those words."

Ichigo scowled, and opened his mouth to retort.

Karin beat him to it.

"Yeah, boys sure can be stupid sometimes. So, what's your name?"

The girl puffed out her chest a bit with evident pride. Placing her hands on her hips, she made certain to maintain direct eye contact with Ichigo as she responded to the inquiry.

"I am called Zoë."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19: History Lessons

* * *

 **Here I am, once again.**

 **Before the chapter itself, I would like to talk about a few things regarding several of the reviews I received for the previous one. As some people were able to deduce, the character Zoë from the last omake is indeed Zoë Nightshade. I don't know if you all have noticed, but I** _ **have**_ **tried to sprinkle a few PJO Easter eggs in here and there in past chapters. Some of you have asked whether or not PJO will be incorporated into this story, and there have been others who have asked if I plan to do a purely Bleach and PJO crossover.**

 **Not to get too many hopes up, but the answer is probably both.**

 **I will indeed be adding elements from the Riordan series into this story in a major way later on, but that will not be for quite some time. On the other hand, I** _ **have**_ **in fact thought up a few storylines for a Bleach and PJO crossover fic. However, that won't be published until I finish one of my current stories, and that likely won't be for some time.**

 **Or, alternatively, I might do a very short Bleach/PJO fic. I'm just not quite sure yet.**

 **On another topic, I would like to make a rather personal note. I don't usually give shoutouts very often, but I received a particular review for the previous chapter that truly warmed my heart. Thank you very much,** _ **MrSunshine744.**_ **Your words really made my day.**

 **And yes,** _ **Spacecore94.**_

 **To answer your question, Ingrid is definitely a viable candidate for the shipping poll, lmfao. However, to be completely honest, I already have a very good outline of who Ichigo will end up being paired with in the end. Personally, I am all for the idea of having a harem fic, but once the number of girls starts growing closer to twenty it gets to be too much. Besides, I don't think Ichigo would be the kind of guy to have so many girls in the first place. That's why I don't really like** _ **massive**_ **harem stories.**

 **Not all of the girls on the poll will end up with our hero.**

 **Also, fair warning: This chapter begins with A LOT of info. However, it is necessary for the main character to understand the larger world as a whole.**

 **Please enjoy the new chapter.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _(The Underworld; Gremory Territory)_

A knock at the door roused him from slumber.

Blinking blearily, Ichigo yawned and rolled onto his side. Looking out through the massive windows on the wall to his left, he grumbled petulantly upon noting that the sun still had yet to break the horizon. The knocking continued, and he finally threw the sheets away and dragged himself out of his luxurious king-sized bed. Trudging across the room and towards the door, his hand grasped air several times before finally finding the doorknob.

Stifling another yawn, he pulled the door open to scowl at whoever had decided to wake him up so damn early. However, upon seeing silver eyes and matching hair, his complaints died a swift death at the back of his throat. "Grayfia? Is something wrong?"

His godmother arched a finely-manicured brow. "Not at all. Might I ask why you would assume such a thing?"

"I just… I don't know. It's really early, and I just figured-"

"Ah. Well, to put your worries at ease, I can confidently assure you that there is nothing to concern yourself with. However, you and I _did_ schedule a study session yesterday evening. Given that we have quite a bit of material to cover, I only thought it logical to wake you up at a reasonable hour."

A reasonable hour?

Looking over his shoulder, Ichigo stole a brief glance at the alarm clock positioned on his nightstand. A little bit of him died inside upon nothing that it was barely past four-thirty in the morning. Turning back to Grayfia, he allowed his shoulders to sag. "Can't this wait until a little bit later…?"

To his surprise, the silver-haired woman's eyes sharpened dangerously. "I'm afraid not. There is a multitude of things that I do not tolerate in my house, and academic neglect is one of them. If Millicas can rise this early for his lessons, then so can you. Now please get dressed. I will wait for you at the end of the hall."

Without waiting for him to respond, Grayfia turned and primly walked away.

Even as she disappeared from his line of sight, Ichigo fought to hold in the loud groan that threatened to escape him. Even if he couldn't see her, he was still fairly certain Grayfia would be able to hear him given her supernatural nature. Settling for scowling and rolling his eyes, the orange-head closed his door and trudged over to his closet.

However, he stopped in his tracks upon remote ring that he hadn't actually brought any spare clothes with him from the Living World. That was certainly an inconvenience. He _really_ didn't want to have to change back into the outfit he'd worn the previous day. It needed a good washing, and walking around a stately manor reeking of day-old grime and sweat would likely be considered unsightly. Either way, he still needed a shower.

Pivoting on his heel, Ichigo made for the bathroom.

The doors leading into it parted for him, and revealed the impressive decoration that awaited within. Even after seeing everything last night, Ichigo still found himself impressed with just how fancy a _bathroom_ of all things could be. Even back at Hellsing Manor, his personal restroom was only big enough as was necessary to use. _This_ bathroom, on the other hand, was easily the same size as his living room back in Karakura Town.

Everything was cut from smooth marble, and a large hole was cut hollowed of the material in the center of the room to form the bathtub. Technically speaking, it was big enough to be considered a large jacuzzi. It was eight feet by eight feet in either direction, and possessed a set of steps which allowed him to walk right into the water from floor level.

Shedding his clothing, Ichigo did exactly that.

From what he'd been informed last night by Sirzechs, the warm water was automatically drained at the end of every day, and subsequently refilled once the dirty water had been flushed away. Whoever used the tub _could_ empty it manually whenever they pleased, but the daily process was still utilized just in case someone forgot to clean up after they'd had a bath. Apparently, before the system had been set in motion, a visiting dignitary had once clogged up the drainage system with so much filth that it had taken the janitorial staff a week and a half to clear away all the blockage. Suffice to say, the disgusting man had never been invited back.

Reaching for a bar of soap, Ichigo began the process of scrubbing himself clean.

One thorough washing later, and he finally felt confident enough to get out of the water.

Grabbing two towels from the nearby rack, he wrapped one around his waist and used the other to actually dry off his body. If he had been back home, he wouldn't have bothered with the second towel. However, given his current lodging arrangements, he didn't trust Yoruichi to not try and sneak a peek.

Exiting the bathroom, he surveyed the room to locate his roommate. To his surprise, she was still in her feline form. She was also still asleep, and seemed to have wormed her way up into a fortress of pillows while he'd been in the bath. All he could see was her black little face and a few stray whiskers.

Deciding not to wake her, Ichigo turned towards his closet to ponder over his clothing situation. However, he froze upon noticing a bright yellow sticky note on the closet door. Cautiously approaching, he quickly looked around the room another time. The note had _not_ been there before he'd gone into the bathroom. Either he was going crazy, or someone had managed to enter his room and sneak past _Yoruichi_ to place it there.

Creepy.

Creepy but impressive.

Pulling the note off the door, he brought it closer to read.

 _Ichigo,_

 _I hope you don't mind, but we took the liberty of giving you a few pairs of clothes to wear while you're down here. I completely forgot to allow you time to bring some of your own clothing. Sorry about that, lol._

 _-SL_

'SL' obviously stood for Sirzechs Lucifer.

Aside from that, the writing style matched the red-haired Devil's speech pattern almost perfectly. Ichigo definitely appreciated his godfather's thoughtfulness, but one thing still slightly unnerved him. How in the hell had Sirzechs guessed his measurements…?

Hesitantly, the orange-head opened the closet. As the note had said, the space was now fully stocked with multiple shirts, jackets, pants, and other accessories. Pulling out a plain grey button-down shirt, Ichigo's discomfort increased as he noted that it was indeed a perfect fit. Had Sirzechs sent someone to take his measurements while he'd been asleep? Oh God… he _really_ hoped this was all thanks to some kind of magic.

After putting on a pair of jeans and a decent jacket, Ichigo walked over to the nightstand and snatched up his phone. Shoving the device into his pocket, he turned to finally exit the room. Closing the door behind him gently so as not to wake Yoruichi, he turned right down the hallway in what he assumed was the correct direction. After a moment, his guess was proven correct, and Grayfia turned to appraise him.

"I see that you found the note."

"Yeah, I did. Say… how did you guys figure out what size I wore?"

"Oh, that? A simple spell was all that was needed to approximately estimate the proper clothing to obtain for you. I trust that it is all to your liking?"

Breathing out a sigh of relief, Ichigo nodded.

Seemingly pleased, Grayfia turned to walk further down the hall. Raising a single finger, she silently motioned for him to follow. With a shrug, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and did as instructed.

They walked for several minutes in complete silence. Ichigo did his best to memorize the labyrinth of halls and rooms as they moved through the house, which Grayfia was able to navigate without any trouble whatsoever. Due to her perfect familiarity with everything around them, part of him wondered how long she'd lived here. From what he'd managed to piece together from the dinner conversation last night, Lucifer Manor had been constructed not long after Sirzechs and Grayfia had gotten married. A short time after that, Sirzechs had then been promoted to the rank of Satan.

That still begged the question of how long ago all of these events had taken place.

He was curious to know, but Ichigo still figured it would be rude to just outright ask. After all, even though Grayfia was of a nigh immortal species, she was still a woman. If there was anything Ichigo had learned during his time training with Yoruichi, it was that it was _never_ okay to ask a woman about her age.

Shrugging it off, he forced the train of thought to the back of his mind. If his upcoming history lesson was going to be anything like what he expected, then he would likely receive the answer to his question without even needing to ask.

After several more minutes of walking, they finally reached a pair of elaborately decorated wooden doors. The doors themselves were quite large, and multiple carvings and runes littered their gilded surfaces. Gently, Grayfia pushed them open and continued into the space that lay beyond. It appeared to be some kind of sitting room; large windows took up the far wall, and on the perpendicular wall a rather impressive fireplace took up residence.

From where he was standing, Ichigo could also see a decently-sized bookshelf positioned next to a grand piano. Above that, there were four large portraits hanging on the wall in a straight line. Three of the individuals in said portraits were immediately recognizable.

In one, Rias was depicted in a bright red dress that matched her hair.

In the next, Sirzechs was shown in his elaborate ceremonial armor.

And then, Zeoticus was shown standing tall and proud in his own formal attire. The shoulder armor he wore in his portrait was not as intricate as that of his son's, but it was still very impressive nonetheless.

As Ichigo allowed his gaze to drift to the fourth and final portrait, he found himself taken aback by the eyes of the mysterious woman in the painting. Like the previous three Gremorys, her hair was a vibrant shade of red, and her irises were a piercing greenish-blue. Surprisingly, though, her sclera was midnight black, and her pearly smile made a chill run down Ichigo's spine.

"Who is that?"

Grayfia followed his gaze, and cleared her throat upon realizing what he was referring to. "That would be the Lady Libidine Gremory. She is Lord Zeoticus' mother, and was the founding member of the family. In fact, she was one of the original Devils cast out of Heaven by God for siding with the original Lucifer."

Ichigo's widened at that little tidbit.

Sirzechs' grandmother was one of the original forsaken, huh?

"Will I meet her?" he asked.

Grayfia shifted in obvious discomfort, and the action did not escape his notice. "That is highly unlikely. Currently, Her Ladyship is in the middle of a deep slumber that she will not wake from for several more centuries. When she went to sleep, it was still the Victorian Era in the World of the Living."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I am well. Simply put… Lady Libidine is a somewhat difficult topic to discuss. Whenever she awakens, she always insists upon traveling to the Living World to see what has changed in her absence. With any other Devil, such a thing wouldn't be such an issue. However, Her Ladyship can be… troublesome."

"How do you mean?"

"Due to the fact that she sleeps for such long intervals, she has yet to accept that the world cannot be the same as it once was. Back in the apex of her day, Lady Libidine was allowed to do whatever she pleased with absolutely no consequence. However, following the Devil Civil War, new laws were put into effect that limit such behavior. It has become difficult to keep Lady Libidine under control since then."

Ichigo frowned. "Can't Sirzechs just tell her to stop?"

"Ichigo… Her Ladyship could defeat my husband with one hand tied behind her back. Out of all of the pureblooded Devils currently living today, she is undeniably one of the strongest."

That definitely came as a shock.

Sirzechs' Demonic Power was unlike anything he had ever felt before, and Ichigo had concluded that the only two individuals who would likely be able to take him down without an issue were Sosuke Aizen and Captain Commander Yamamoto. However, to hear that there was a being out there who could defeat his godfather so easily was honestly a very terrifying thing to wrap his head around.

"Never mind all that, though." Grayfia's sudden declaration caught him by surprise, and he blinked several times to force himself out of his pondering. "I do believe that you came here to learn, correct? If that is indeed the case, please take a seat on the couch."

Doing as instructed, Ichigo watched as his godmother gracefully positioned herself in the comfortable-looking chair directly across from him. "Where do we start?"

Grayfia's lips quirked up into a small smile. "Well, given that you will undoubtedly become part of our world on a much larger scale as time goes on, I suppose it would only be right to give you a more concrete outline of the multiple Factions. After all, due to your particular nature, you are bound to attract all kinds of attention from outside both the Underworld _and_ Soul Society."

"I guess that makes sense."

"Excellent. I informed you of quite a bit of this yesterday, but we shall continue with the history of the Biblical Faction. As you have already learned, the Biblical Faction as a whole is comprised of three main groups, which have all been engaged in constant conflicts with each other since the Great War. Can you please tell me what these three groups are?"

"Devils, Fallen Angels, and Pure Angels."

"Very good," Grayfia praised sincerely. "You are quite correct. At the beginning of our history, the God of the Bible created all of us with the intent of having us watch over humanity. However, as I mentioned before, there were four Angels who decided that they were better off ruling over humanity instead of protecting it. These four individuals were Lucifer, Leviathan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub, who would each eventually become the original Four Great Satans of the Underworld. Do you understand everything thus far?"

Ichigo nodded wordlessly. It was a lot of information to take in at once, but it wasn't that hard to comprehend. After all, it was nothing compared to the lesson Rukia had given him on the history of Soul Society.

"Excellent. As I have mentioned, the original Four Satans were under the impression that they should be allowed to dominate over humanity due to the fact that they were superior. Of course, their Creator disagreed, and cast them from Heaven and down into Hell, where they founded the Underworld. Gradually, they were followed by those who supported their cause. Once enough Devils had been banished from Heaven, they formed the first army of the Underworld and waged war against God and his remaining forces."

"What about the Fallen Angels?"

"As I mentioned last night, the Fallen are former Angels that participated in sinful behavior and were subsequently cast out of Heaven as punishment. For example, if a pure Angel were to sleep with a human, then they would be deemed blasphemous by God and exiled from Fifth Heaven, which is where most Angels reside. As you can likely assume, most Fallen Angels did not appreciate being shunned from their home. In their opinion, it was unfair that humans were allowed to indulge themselves in ways Angels were not. So, they joined the war against both Heaven _and_ the Underworld."

"Who won?"

"No one."

"What? There had to be a winner."

Grayfia shook her head. "No, I assure you that there was no clear victor. The Fallen Angels lost so many soldiers that they were eventually forced to pull their forces from the war before it concluded. Several decades later, Heaven and Hell had also suffered incomprehensible losses. In fact, even God Himself fell victim to the bloodshed."

"God is _dead_?!" Ichigo exclaimed, mouth falling open in shock. With the way the Iscariot Organization operated, he had come to assume that they must have at least had _some_ connection to the big man in Heaven. To hear that such a thing was not the case, and that the Christian God was actually _dead_ was almost unbelievable.

"Indeed," his godmother confirmed. "Currently, Michael the Archangel is the commander of Heaven. He works alongside Gabriel, and they have both done their best to keep the news of God's death from spreading to humanity."

"Why? What reason is there to hide something like that?"

"Faith is a powerful thing, Ichigo. Christianity is one of the most dominant religions on the planet, and allowing the faithful to learn of God's death would throw the world out of balance. It might not make sense to you right now, but that balance is not something that we can afford to upset. Additionally, if any other Faction were to learn of God's demise, then they would likely attempt to wage war."

"And Heaven is in no position to go to war again…"

"Precisely. After the Great War, several centuries passed, and eventually an uprising within the Devil community led to our own Civil War. Essentially, there were many individuals who did not like the way things were being run by the original Great Satans, and an attempt was made to overthrow them. The attempt succeeded after a long and bloody conflict, and the original Satans were killed. My husband, along with three of his compatriots, were selected to replace them."

"And who are the other Satans? Are they each as powerful as Sirzechs?"

"Not quite," Grayfia replied. "Aside from Lord Lucifer, the remaining Satans are Serafall Leviathan, Ajuka Beelzebub, and Falbium Asmodeus. When they were promoted to the rank of Satan, they were each required to take on the surname of their predecessors. Think of it as a symbol of authority; when the next Four are selected, then they too will have to adopt the name of the position they fill."

"I think I understand. They were also forced to cut familial ties, right?"

"In a manner of speaking. Sirzechs is completely able to interact with the rest of the Gremory clan as he pleases, but he is not allowed to be aided by their power or influence. If he did so, it would be a sign of a weak leader."

Ichigo hummed, nodding to himself as he processed the information. The Underworld's hierarchal system was actually kind of similar to Soul Society's, in a way. If a Soul Reaper was ever promoted to the rank of Captain, then they were forbidden from using their family name to spread their authority or influence. Similarly, their family was not allowed to claim dominion over their neighbors just because they had a family member in the Gotei Thirteen.

Still, that didn't stop certain families from obtaining more fame and notoriety.

Returning his attention to Grayfia, Ichigo leaned back against the couch and crossed his right leg over the other. "What about the other Factions? You mentioned that we'd be talking about them."

"So I did," the silver-eyed woman smiled. "To be frank, there are so many Factions that we could likely spend all day talking about them. However, I think it would be best for you to learn about them all gradually. I take it that you are already familiar with the Shinto Faction, yes?"

He nodded in affirmation.

"That will certainly save us some time. In that case, I think we should begin with the Greco-Roman Pantheon."

* * *

Sirzechs hated paperwork.

He hated it with a burning passion.

Looking through it all on a daily basis usually ended up taking a majority of his time. Personally, he would have preferred to spend such time with his family. However, his position demanded a certain level of responsibility, and it was only right of him to do his very best to fulfill his required duties.

However, the letters that currently occupied the surface of his desk sincerely made him want to jump out of the nearest window. "It's only been seven and a half hours! How did the news get out so quickly?!"

"I can only assume through one of your servants," Zeoticus replied, sitting in the chair on the other side of the desk. With a bit of irritation, Sirzechs noted that his father had apparently helped himself to his personal collection of Olympian Wine. The brand was a particularly hard one to get ahold of, considering it was only fermented in the temple of Dionysus. "Gossip is a very powerful thing, my son. You would do well to never underestimate it."

"Granted, but this is still ridiculous. Three marriage proposals! _Three!_ In seven hours!"

"Some people will stop at nothing to climb the metaphorical ladder. Given that young Ichigo has officially been declared a member of the Gremory clan, it makes sense that other families would be desperate to jump at a chance to tie themselves to us. In any case, he is also _your_ godson, which makes him even more of a prize"

Sirzechs curled his lip in irritation as he read back through the formal letters. They were each addressed to him by people who he couldn't even remember. Sure, he had probably met them once at a formal gathering, but he had most assuredly zoned out at some point in the conversation.

One letter was from the Lautreamont family, one from the Von Zerbst family, and one from Morimoto family.

"Do these girls have any parents that are truly important?"

Zeoticus hummed, setting his glass of wine down on a coaster. "Well, I know that Veronica Lautreamont is currently training to become a Captain in the army. Her father, William, is regarded as one of the most tactically brilliant men in the Underworld. You met him at the Blood Moon Ball, remember?"

"Oh yeah… what about the other two?"

"Kirche Von Zerbst has not done anything of real significance, but her family is well known for raising fire salamanders. Reina Morimoto has not done anything noteworthy either, but her family was fortunate enough to have built their estate on top of a rather large deposit of mithril. They are the largest supplier in the Underworld."

Sirzechs sighed, and allowed the papers to fall from his grasp. They fluttered to the table, and he reached up to gingerly massage his temples. The proposals would go ignored, of course, but he would still have to come up with some sort of response to them. As much as he wanted to simply ignore the situation, doing so would be unacceptable behavior for a Satan. It was true that his position granted him quite a bit of power, but he was still upheld to certain standards.

Arranged marriages, as much as he hated them, were still in practice simply because the council had deemed them necessary. In their eyes, ensuring the continued purity of ancient bloodlines was an absolute necessity. Even today, pureblooded Devils were still largely encouraged _against_ marrying and reproducing with their reincarnated kin.

But that fact aroused a question…

Ichigo wasn't even a Devil yet. However, he had already received three proposals with more likely on their way. There were only two possible explanations. Either the news of Ichigo's current humanity hadn't reached the public, or they simply didn't care and were more interested in getting their daughters to breed with such an exceptionally powerful individual.

The first option was likely the case.

Even though Ichigo _was_ a very powerful warrior, that likely wouldn't be enough for any pureblooded tightwads to want to marry him off to their children. Still, this undoubtedly wouldn't be the end of the issue. The council was bound to have heard of the boy's arrival by now as well, and there was no doubt in Sirzechs' mind that the old farts would be on his back sooner or later.

Releasing a heavy sigh, he looked up to meet his father's eye. "While we are on the topic of marriage…"

"I know what you are going to say," Zeoticus interrupted, raising a hand. "However, the decision is final. Even with all your power, not even _you_ can break such an important contract."

"Riser Phenex is a _pig_ , father. You've seen the way he treats his Peerage, and I'll be _damned_ before I allow him to treat my baby sister in such a deplorable fashion!"

"Do you think this was an easy decision for me to make?" Zeoticus asked, eyes hardening in challenge. "Do you think I _want_ my only daughter to be treated like some sort of prized trophy? If it were possible, I would kill the little rat bastard myself and put the whole situation to bed. Unfortunately, things cannot always play out the way we want them to. The Phenex family is very influential, and the benefits from our union with them are estimated to be incredibly substantial for both parties."

Sirzechs snarled, but was forced to concede that his father made a good point.

He had been lucky in the fact that he had been able to marry the woman he loved.

Unfortunately, most Devils were not allowed such a luxury. Even his own _mother_ had been contracted to marry his father way back in the day. Thankfully, they'd fallen in love with each other as the decades had gone by, but there were many couples within the Underworld who only treated their marital status as a pure business relationship.

It was sickening, but that was just the way things were.

"What do you have planned for the rest of the day?" Zeoticus suddenly asked.

The attempt to change the topic was obvious, but Sirzechs still found himself slightly grateful for it. Leaning back in his chair, he rotated slightly to look out the windows on his left. "As of right now, it has been requested that I meet with several of the leaders of the other Factions. Zeus has made it abundantly clear that he will be in attendance, but Amaterasu has been surprisingly quiet. Do you suppose she is still angry with me?"

"I would assume she is furious."

Chuckling lightly, Sirzechs watched as a sprite dragon flew by the window. The little creature fluttered in place for a moment, before quickly darting away. How lucky it was, to be able to flap its wings and fly away from its problems. He would give anything right now to be able to avoid the shitstorm he knew was coming.

He had not done anything illegal, but Sirzechs still knew that he would likely be receiving an earful from the other leaders. Hopefully, he would be able to convince them to see reason. If not, then Michael would probably be able to calm everyone down enough so that a civil discussion could be held.

The leader of the Angels had a way with words like that.

Breathing out in resignation, Sirzechs reluctantly turned back to his desk to continue sifting through the mountain of unsigned paperwork.

He _really_ hated politics sometimes.

* * *

"Do you think you can repeat all of that back to me?"

Straightening up, Ichigo closed his eyes and attempted to recall all of the information he had just been fed over the past few minutes. "The Greco-Roman Pantheon is currently ruled by the twelve Olympian gods. However, to be more accurate, the Olympians themselves answer to Zeus, who is their current king. Contrary to popular belief, Olympus is no longer located in Greece, but is instead positioned on the very top of the Empire State Building in New York City. Why is that, again…?"

Grayfia shrugged a single shoulder. "I am not entirely sure myself, but I have been told that the Olympian gods have been following the progression of Western Civilization over the centuries. Presently, the United States is one of the most strategically advanced countries in the world. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that is the _real_ reason why Zeus chose it to be the new home for his people."

"That all sounds unnecessarily complicated. I mean, why abandon your homeland all for the sake of keeping up with the times? I thought immortals valued tradition over everything else."

"One cannot hope to understand the inner workings of a god's brain, Ichigo."

"I'm just saying… it all sounds way too convenient. It's like the setup for a young adult novel series, or something."

"I have never thought of it that way before," Grayfia hummed thoughtfully. "Although, I can certainly see your point. But for now, I must insist that we put such things aside in favor of continuing with your studies. What else can you tell me about the Greco-Romans?"

Ichigo huffed, but dropped to topic nonetheless. Folding his arms over his chest, he thought hard about any potential information he was already aware of. "Well, I know that the Olympians are worshipped by both the Romans _and_ the Greeks. But if memory serves, I was taught in school that the two civilizations have always hated each other's guts."

"You are correct," Grayfia nodded pleasantly. "Originally, only the people of Greece worshipped the Olympian gods. However, as the Roman Empire continued to expand its territory into Greece and the other countries neighboring it, the Romans eventually came to adopt the same beliefs. Even so, they referred to the gods by completely different names. For example, whereas the king of the Olympians is called Zeus by the Greeks, he is referred to as Jupiter by the Romans."

"Why call them something different?"

"You must understand that the Romans were a very proud and egotistical people. They did not want to admit to being influenced by the belief system of their enemies, so they claimed that they worshipped gods of a completely different name. Such a thing was rather childish, if you ask me. In any case, the Olympians adapted to these new worshippers by creating completely separate personalities for themselves so they would be able to interact with the Roman people."

"That seems a little unnecessary…" Ichigo commented rather bluntly.

"I agree," his godmother sighed. "However, the Olympians were more than happy to welcome the idea of having new worshippers."

Groaning slightly, Ichigo allowed his head to fall back against the cushions of the couch. Out of every Faction he had learned of thus far, Olympian culture was undoubtedly the most complicated. And that was saying something, since he had worked with Soul Society for such a considerable amount of time. He prayed that he would never have to deal with such a dysfunctional group of immortals…

"Are you hungry?" Grayfia suddenly asked, startling him out of his thoughts. "It has been quite some time since we began your lessons, and you never ate any breakfast. Would you like to take a break and accompany me to the kitchens?"

As if to answer for him, Ichigo's stomach made a loud gurgling sound.

Grinning sheepishly, he reached up to scratch at the back of his neck. "That sounds like a pretty good idea."

Grayfia smiled pleasantly, and gracefully rose to her feet. Ichigo followed her lead, and quickly made to keep up with her as she exited the room. Thankfully, they had already passed the kitchen on their way to the sitting room earlier, so the walk wasn't a very long one. However, as they arrived at their destination, the temperature in the room suddenly plummeted as soon as they entered.

Shivering, Ichigo turned to ask his godmother if there was something wrong with the ventilation system. The question died a quick and ugly death in his throat as he caught sight of the absolutely _frigid_ look on the silver-haired woman's face. Following her line of sight, Ichigo blinked in surprise as he realized that she was glaring at a rather large, orange-haired man who seemed to be in the process of raiding the refrigerator.

The poor fellow hadn't even realized he was no longer alone.

"What _exactly_ do you think you are doing?" Grayfia hissed loudly.

The man yelped, jumped, and bumped the top of his head on the fridge. Biting out a string of curses in a language Ichigo didn't understand, he gingerly rubbed at the new bruise and turned to face them. Upon noticing Grayfia, the giant of a man froze in place like a deer caught in headlights.

"I assure 'ye that this ain't what it looks like…"

"Really?" Grayfia replied sarcastically. Her tone was so icy that it put Sode No Shirayuki to absolute shame. "Well, it appears as though you thought you could sneak in here and whisk away an armful of food while I was preoccupied."

The man glanced down at the steaks and various other meats held in his grasp. "Ah, ye mean all this? Nah, this is just a quick mornin' snack."

Breathing out nasally, Grayfia reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose in obvious frustration. "Ichigo, this is Surtur Second. He is a clone of the original Norse Giant of the same name, and is currently under the employ of my husband."

Ichigo opened his mouth, but his reply was cut off when Surtur dropped all of the food to the floor in apparent shock.

"Wait, _you_ are Ichigo Kurosaki?!" the giant man asked incredulously.

"Uh… yeah."

Without any warning, Surtur bellowed out a laugh and charged forward. Ichigo cried out in shock as he was swiftly lifted off his feet and swung around through the air like a rag doll. "The boss has told us all about ye, laddie! It's good ta finally meet ye in person!"

"I'm gonna barf!" Ichigo exclaimed.

Suddenly, he was dropped back to the ground. Taking a moment to regain his bearings, he was surprised to see that Grayfia had apparently gripped a sensitive nerve on Surtur's left shoulder. The enormous man was completely paralyzed, and his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

"Ow! Damn it, sis! Let me go!"

Grayfia ruthlessly twisted the flesh held between her fingers. Surtur howled in agony and collapsed to the floor in a twitching mass of spiky orange hair and silver armor. Stepping away from the sniveling giant, Grayfia dusted her hands off on her uniform and readopted a plain expression. "I believe we mentioned something about breakfast?"

Ichigo looked back down at Surtur. "But what about-"

"Breakfast."

"But…"

" _Breakfast."_

Finally taking the hint, Ichigo stepped over the unconscious giant and seated himself on one of the barstools positioned in front of the main kitchen counter. Apparently satisfied with his move, Grayfia turned towards the fridge and pulled out a carton of abnormally large eggs. Shifting in his seat, Ichigo spared another glance down at the unconscious man on the floor. "You said that Surtur works for Sirzechs, right? What exactly does he do?"

"He is my husband's Rook," Grayfia replied, cracking one of the eggs into a bowl.

"What do you mean?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"What do you mean by 'Rook'?"

Closing her eyes and flattening her lips, Grayfia released a strange sound that could have only been an indication of increased irritation. "Did Lord Lucifer not inform you of the Evil Pieces?"

"Evil Pieces…?"

"I see… it seems that I will need to have a talk with Sirzechs once he has a moment of free time." Grabbing a whisk and a carton of milk, Grayfia went about furiously stirring the yolk in the bowl. "Conceived by Ajuka Beelzebub centuries ago, the Evil Pieces are a set of fifteen objects that highly resemble the pieces used in a game of chess. They were created in order to assist with the repopulation of the Underworld after the losses suffered during the Great War."

"And how do they do that, exactly?"

"By reincarnating other species into Devils."

He hadn't been expecting that particular answer.

Grayfia must have noticed his surprised expression. After turning on the stove and pouring the contents of the bowl into a skillet, she turned back to face him and leaned her weight against the countertop. "Devils have a horribly low birth rate. It can take a couple several centuries to successfully conceive a single child. One baby is a blessing, while any beyond that are considered miracles. In order to make up for the fact that not many Devil children were being born naturally, Ajuka proposed the creation of the Evil Pieces. In the end, most were in favor of the idea, but those who supported the Old Satan Faction were disgusted by the concept of reincarnating humans and various other races into Devils."

 _That_ sounded familiar.

Ichigo couldn't help but be reminded how poorly Central Forty-Six had taken the news that he had become a Substitute Soul Reaper. The old assholes had gone on and on about maintaining purity within the Gotei Thirteen, and that his presence supposedly threatened that ideal. It was irritating how they had never shut up even after he'd saved their bacon numerous times.

"So, when someone is reincarnated, they essentially become an employee? Based on what I know about chess, all of the individual pieces answer to a King."

Grayfia nodded, seemingly pleased with his knowledge. "When an individual is reincarnated into a Devil by a King, they in turn become that King's servant. As I mentioned previously, Surtur is my husband's Rook, and I am actually his Queen."

Ichigo felt rage enter his heart. "You're a _slave_?"

His godmother's expression grew slightly complicated. "No, I am not. More often than not, most reincarnated Devils become servants by their own free will. Sirzechs asked me to become his Queen, and I accepted. However, I will admit that there are occasional individuals who abuse the Evil Piece system for their own personal gain."

"Can't something be done about that?"

"Not as long as the Devil council declares there is nothing wrong with the practice. Although most servants become such by their own free will, they are still technically servants. And they are legally allowed to be used by their masters however they see fit."

Ichigo's scowl morphed into a full snarl. He clenched his fists so tightly that the bones in his knuckles creaked in protest. Additionally, his Inner Hollow roared and thrashed at the back of his mind, desperate to escape and enact unholy vengeance.

A gentle hand rested against one of his fists, and he looked up to meet Grayfia's remorseful silver gaze. "I assure you that Sirzechs is doing everything he can to ensure that all servants across the Underworld are treated fairly," she said in a calm, soothing voice. "He despises the thought of reincarnated Devils being treated like property, and has approached the council several times in an attempt to make it strictly illegal to abuse them."

"Why haven't they agreed?"

"Unfortunately, although the council agreed that Evil Pieces were necessary to help rebuild our population, they are still majorly made up of members who view pureblooded Devils as superior to their reincarnated brethren. As such, they see no problem with Kings using their servants however they want."

Ichigo went silent, and turned his eyes down towards the countertop.

Grayfia sighed, and moved away to take the scrambled eggs off of the stove.

No matter where he went, it seemed prejudice and corruption would forever be a worldwide presence. It had been present in Soul Society, where Central Forty-Six had neglected to improve the living conditions of those in the Rukon District. It had also existed in Hueco Mundo, where Aizen had blatantly ignored the presence of the intelligent Hollows who were forced to live outside of Las Noches. And here it was again, within the depths of the Underworld. Based on what Grayfia had said, it sounded like reincarnated Devils were largely treated like second-class citizens, despite their entire existence being the only thing that saved the Devil race from extinction.

And nothing was being done about it.

Sighing roughly, Ichigo picked up the fork that was placed in front of him and slowly began to shovel mouthfuls of scrambled eggs down his throat. A glass of orange juice was also set down on the counter, and he made sure to send Grayfia a grateful nod.

She smiled back in turn, though the expression was somewhat brittle.

It sounded cruel, but that simple fact made Ichigo feel slightly better.

It let him know that there _were_ Devils who disagreed with the practice of abusing their servants. With that in mind, the orange-head did his best to force the depressing train of thought out of his mind. Dwelling on such depressing subjects wasn't going to do him any good, especially since he couldn't do anything to change things.

Breathing in deeply, he busied with breakfast.

* * *

 _(Kuoh Town, Japan; One Hour Later)_

The Jade Dragon hotel was the epitome of modern architecture.

It had everything guests could ever want, including an indoor bar, workout center, and several heated pools. It was also one of the many mortal business that the Gremory family owned in the Living World. Granted, the hotel didn't bring in as much profit as the rest of their investments in the Underworld, but it was still a very enjoyable place to visit.

It also had a conference room on the very top floor, which was the perfect place to hold a meeting.

Sitting at the very head of the conference table, Sirzechs straightened up and briefly appraised each of his guests. They were all understandably in rather poor moods, but that wasn't really his problem. He was here to talk business, after all. "Thank you all for coming."

At the other end of the table, Zeus slammed an enclosed fist down on the wooden surface in easily apparent anger. Sirzechs sighed as the table cracked under the unnecessary force. It was rather trivial, but the table _had_ been rather expensive, even if only by human standards.

"Lord Zeus, I must ask that you refrain from damaging my property…" he said plainly.

"It's better than what you deserve, Devil!" the king of the Olympian gods bellowed. His greying hair stood on end, and the fabric of his pinstripe suit danced with static. "After the dirty trick you pulled, a broken table should be the _least_ of your concerns."

"Please calm down, Lord Zeus," Michael spoke up in a gentle voice. The current leader of Heaven was seated on Sirzechs' direct left, and was dressed in flowing white robes lined with gold. "To be completely fair, Lord Lucifer has done nothing to break any of our established laws. He waited until the Kurosaki boy was in the territory of the Biblical Faction, and only then did he approach."

"And what is your excuse for not doing the same?" Zeus retorted.

"I planned to, truthfully. However, I am afraid that Sirzechs beat me to it."

"Enough squabbling," Sirzechs stated forcefully, successfully gaining the attention of everyone present. "It won't do us any good to fight amongst ourselves like children. We are here today to talk business, so let us do exactly that. As Michael has said, I have broken no laws; Ichigo came with me to the Underworld of his own free will."

In the chair next to Zeus, Amaterasu scoffed.

Ignoring her, the Crimson Satan turned his full attention to the Olympian in the room. "Lord Zeus, your personal desire to have Ichigo join your forces still confuses me. I am the boy's godfather, Amaterasu is his grandmother, and Michael is the leader of the faith his mother followed. What claim do you propose to have?"

The aforementioned man shuffled in his chair, and his expression grew strangely complicated. Folding his arms over his broad chest, Zeus finally heaved out a reluctant sigh. "There has been a prophecy. The Oracle of Delphi has seen a vision of the future, and that future concerns the ultimate destiny of the Kurosaki child…"

 _That_ was certainly a surprise.

Everyone in the room exchanged uneasy glances. Even Amaterasu, who had been silently pouting for the duration of the meeting thus far, sat up with far more concern in her eyes than before.

Sirzechs definitely couldn't blame her.

Prophecies were not something to be taken lightly, and if there was one thing he had learned during his tenure as a Satan, it was that they often ended up effecting the entire world. Not to mention that the Oracle of Delphi was considered to be one of the most important entities in the supernatural community, even outside of the Greco-Roman Pantheon. Her foresight allowed them all to prepare for the future, and her visions hardly ever proved to be wrong.

Clearing his throat, Michael leaned forward in his seat. "Do you think you might be able to relay the prophecy to us?"

Zeus nodded gravely, sucking in a deep breath…

" _Ancient evils shall rise again_

 _In order to punish their children's sin_

 _With the Reaper's aid, may you quell their wrath_

 _Or set him down a darker path_

 _Brothers three will win the day_

 _Yet on their own, each shall surely stray."_

Well…

 _That_ certainly wasn't ominous as all hell…

Raising a hand to stroke his chin in careful thought, Sirzechs noticed Michael and Amaterasu do the same. There was an abundance of dormant evils in the world that had the potential to cause trouble one day, so it was somewhat difficult to determine what exactly the Oracle was referring to. However, given her nature and allegiance, it most likely had something to do with either Greece or Rome. Even so, it was _abundantly_ clear who the 'Reaper' was supposed to be…

"Do we have any clue as to who this future enemy will be?" Amaterasu finally spoke up, face contorted with concern. "If this prophecy refers to Our grandson, who is not associated with the Greco-Romans in any way, then surely it will effect multiple Factions."

"I can only assume so," Michael replied, nodding in agreement. "Of course, this has become a new priority. Are we all in agreement that the remaining leaders need to be informed of this?"

No one disagreed.

Tearing his gaze away from the tabletop, Sirzechs glanced across the table to look Zeus in the eye. It was odd to see the usually arrogant and proud Olympian look so troubled, which only spoke of the severity of the situation. "Lord Zeus, do you have any idea what this 'ancient evil' is?"

The thunder god shook his head, clearly frustrated with not knowing such an important answer. "I am afraid not. Olympus has made many enemies over the millennia, and many of them are still living. Attempting to determine which one of them might plan to strike is equivalent to trying to find a single bird in the entire expanse of the sky."

That was unfortunate, but certainly not unexpected.

Biting his tongue, Sirzechs looked back down at the wooden surface of the table. He had never stopped to consider _why_ exactly someone like Zeus might want Ichigo to join his empire, when the man had never even met the boy before. He had only assumed it was due to the god's obsession with obtaining as much power as he possibly could. The truth was much worse, it seemed.

Standing up, the red-haired Devil commanded all of the attention in the room. "This revelation is certainly troubling, and undoubtedly deserves our continued attention. However, I will still not allow Olympus to obtain the rights to Ichigo simply because of a prophecy that might not come true in the immediate future. The boy is my godson, and I made a promise to treat him like family instead of a mere soldier." Sirzechs met the eyes of every individual present. "I _refuse_ to break that promise. He has been used as a pawn far too many times already."

Amaterasu sagged in her seat, while Zeus appeared positively blown away by the declaration.

"You _dare_ to prioritize your own desires over a vision prophesied by the Oracle?! Your selfishness could spell doom for us all!" the grey-haired man thundered furiously, face red with barely restrained anger.

"Do not speak to me about selfishness, Lord Zeus. Your ego is legendary throughout the whole of the supernatural world."

"You dare…"

"However, I give you my solemn _oath_ that I will work in correspondence with your kingdom to keep an eye on the possibility of the Oracle's prophecy coming to fruition. The forces of the Underworld will prepare themselves to fight whatever evil may attempt to threaten the balance that we have _all_ managed to maintain. On that, I give you my word."

Standing up as well, Michael gave a solemn nod. "The armies of Heaven will assist you. We cannot afford to let anything threaten the mortal realm. Without the humans, we would all fade away into obscurity."

Sirzechs smiled in appreciation, and even Zeus appeared to calm down at the offer of outside assistance. All eyes turned to Amaterasu, who was still sitting quietly in her chair.

With a quiet sigh, she rose to her feet as well. Smoothing out her robes, she turned to look Sirzechs in the eye. "We are still not happy with the situation, but We shall agree to assist in monitoring the Earth for the evil that the prophecy spoke of. But mark Our words… We will _not_ give up Our grandson so easily. He will have to return to his homeland sooner or later, and once he is there, he shall once more been in Our jurisdiction."

Not a very subtle challenge…

Nonetheless, the Crimson Satan nodded at her words.

Things had certainly become more complicated, but it seemed that some things just never changed. At least that was one small comfort.

"Right then. In light of this new revelation, I belief that we should adjourn for the day," Sirzechs stated. "I will be sure to contact Azazel to inform him of everything we have discussed. His tactical mind may be able to piece together something the rest of us might have overlooked."

"Agreed," Michael chuckled warmly. "Though I am somewhat hesitant to admit it, that man's intellect was rivaled by none in Heaven when he still resided there with us." With that said, the leader of the Seraphim vanished in a column of blinding light.

Similarly, Zeus quickly disappeared in a flash of lighting, and Sirzechs rolled his eyes at the honestly unnecessary display of power. Still, he bit his tongue and turned to the only remaining individual present in the room aside from himself. It was easily apparent that She wanted to hold a private conversation. "What can I do for you, My Lady?"

Amaterasu maintained a thoroughly unimpressed expression. "Lord Lucifer, We can understand and appreciate why you are so desperate to maintain a lasting relationship with Ichigo. We hold no ill will towards you and your kin, truly, but We simply _cannot_ afford to let you have him. The loss of one grandchild was traumatic enough… We will not lose another."

Sirzechs felt his irritation towards the sun goddess diminish slightly. He was well aware of the story surrounding her previous grandson, and how the boy had fallen to a path of no redemption. Granted, that had been nearly a thousand years ago, but the pain was undoubtedly still quite fresh. A thousand years was a paltry amount of time to a deity, after all. "I understand where you are coming from, My Lady. Even so, that does not give you a right to confine they boy to Japan for the rest of his life. Doing so will only spark further animosity in his heart towards you, and I sincerely doubt you want that."

"Your words ring true…"

"Then allow him to make his own choices. The boy values family quite highly, and I honestly don't think he will hold on to his anger forever. If you allow him to create his own path, then he will likely feel tremendous gratitude."

"If only it were that simple, Lord Lucifer. Do not forget… We allowed our other grandson to do as he pleased. We even granted him the power to change the world, but he only used his gift to spread darkness and oppression."

"Ichigo is not the same person."

"We are aware. But they _do_ share the same blood."

Sirzechs breathed out heavily. "Answer me this, My Lady. Do you _honestly_ think Ichigo will go down the same path? Do you think he will make the same choices?"

"No, We do not…" Amaterasu relented with a sigh of her own. It looked like it took quite a bit for Her to admit such a thing, but at least it was a step in the right direction.

"Then give him the courtesy of living his own life," Sirzechs advised gently.

The Lady of the Sun's complicated expression became even more conflicted. In Her heart, it was quite obvious that She loved Ichigo immensely; She was just afraid to completely let him go after what She had already experienced. The goddess choked on sudden tears, and with a wave of Her hand, disappeared back to Takama-Ga-Hara in a bright burst of sunlight.

Shaking his head, Sirzechs snapped his fingers and conjured up a magic circle of his own.

Hopefully, his words had made some kind of meaningful impact.

* * *

 _(Lucifer Manor; One Hour Later)_

It seemed he still had a lot to learn.

Ichigo wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of servants and peerages, but Grayfia had assured him that such things were simply a part of everyday life down here in the Underworld. That being the case, he supposed he had no real right as an outsider to be upset with the way Devils upheld their traditions. If Sirzechs was truly doing his best to ensure that all servants were treated fairly, then he would just have to trust his godfather to do the right thing.

The man seemed honest enough, and Ichigo had been given no real reason to doubt his word thus far. Apparently, he would just have to get used to the things he just didn't understand quite yet.

Breathing out, the former Substitute turned his gaze towards the seemingly endless expanse of trees that stretched out before him. Several minutes ago, he'd felt like getting some fresh air, and had excused himself to one of the many secluded balconies within the manor. The cool breeze that now blew across his face certainly helped him to relax, and the sounds of the wildlife echoing up from the forest below only added to the overall peaceful atmosphere.

However, the tranquility was suddenly broken by a muffled buzzing sound. Blinking in surprise, Ichigo fished into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. Flipping the device open, he was shocked to see that he apparently had perfect reception. Who would have thought that the Underworld had such good bars?

Using his thumb to accept the incoming call, Ichigo held the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

" _Hey sexy~"_

Well, he certainly hadn't been expecting to hear that right away. "Sayo? Is that you?"

" _Of course it's me, you goof. Or should I be worried about anyone else who might be out there calling you 'sexy'?"_ The reply was accusatory, but Sayo's tone was extremely teasing. It was more than apparent that she wasn't actually upset.

Laughing lightly, Ichigo leaned back in the deck chair he was sitting in. "How are things in Tobioka? Is everyone doing alright?"

" _Yeah, we're all doing great. Detective Suzue actually checked out of the hospital several days ago, but she's still on leave from the police force for the time being."_

That was definitely understandable.

The poor woman had been through a horrifically traumatic experience, and expecting her to jump right back into the field would have been absolutely ridiculous. Crossing his legs and making himself more comfortable, Ichigo nodded. "That's good to hear. And how is Arashi? Pip didn't mess him up for life, did he?"

" _No, Arashi is doing pretty well. He's still pretty pissed off, but he's back in school and is participating in missions again. But let's forget about that for now. I actually wanted to call and see if you'd made any progress with what we'd talked about."_

"You mean with Seras?"

" _Mhm."_

A somewhat guilty pit formed in Ichigo's stomach. He'd _had_ a good opportunity to talk with his partner after they had all returned from their respective missions, but something at the back of his mind had stopped him from approaching her. His subconscious mind was constantly plagued with images of Seras' sweet smile turning into a heartbroken visage as he told her of his current relationship. Of course, he had no idea if things would _actually_ play out that way, but there were very few people in the human world who were comfortable with the idea of sharing romantic partners.

Additionally, he was now completely certain that Seras did in fact have feelings for him.

It pained him to realize how oblivious he'd been to it at first, but the signs were all definitely there. She stood closer than what was strictly necessary, and he had noticed her eyes lingering on him when she evidently thought he wasn't looking. It was strange, in a way, to think of just how much their relationship had developed in the admittedly short time they'd known each other.

It had been… what? Just a few weeks?

Even so, Ichigo felt a connection with Seras unlike anything he had ever experience with anyone else. He supposed it was due to the environment they worked in, where they were the only two relatively normal individuals in the entire Hellsing Organization.

" _Ichigo, baby? Ichigo!"_

The orange-head blinked, startling out of his thoughts. "Oh, sorry. Um… no, I haven't talked with her yet." Although he couldn't see her face, Ichigo was fairly certain that Sayo was currently rolling her eyes.

" _You do know it's gonna have to happen sooner or later, right? You can't just leave the poor girl hanging forever,"_ the bluenette replied.

"I know!" Ichigo said heatedly, tone laced with frustration. "But how do I even begin to approach her with something like this? How the hell do you tell someone who has feelings for you that you want to date them _and_ someone else at the same time?"

" _I don't know,"_ Sayo responded. She had every right to be angry with his outburst, but her voice was nothing but soothing and gentle. _"It'll just be something you will have to figure out. I know it will be hard, but I have faith that you'll be able to pull it off. No matter what happens, though, the poor girl_ needs _an answer."_

She was right.

Raising a hand to massage his forehead, where a headache was beginning to form, Ichigo made a personal vow to confront Seras the very next time he saw her. "You're right… I'm sorry for snapping at you."

" _You're forgiven. But as punishment, I demand that you go down on me the next time we have some alone time!"_

Ichigo's face went red as a tomato, and he scowled as his girlfriend's rich laughter echoed through the phone. "Very funny…"

" _Whoever said I was joking?"_ she teased. _"But seriously, what are you up to at the moment?"_

"I'm actually visiting a family member right now. We haven't seen each other for a long time, so I've been spending the past day and a half catching up with him and the rest of his extended family."

" _Oh yeah? Sounds fun. Well, if you're doing something as important as that, I won't keep you for too much longer. But try and give me a call every now and then, yeah?"_

"Sounds like a plan to me."

" _Alrighty then. Bye handsome."_

Ichigo smiled. "Bye."

With a final giggle, Sayo ended the call on her end.

Bringing the phone away from his ear, Ichigo looked at the device for several moments before moving to put it back in his pocket. However, before he could do so, the phone made a sound reminiscent of a chiming bell, indicating that he had received a text message. Raising a brow in curiosity, Ichigo pressed the button that would open the attachment.

As soon as he did so, he choked on a lungful of air and nearly dropped the phone.

Eyes as wide as dinner plates, he stared intently at the saucy selfie that Sayo had evidently decided to send him. She was dressed in her nurse uniform, but had pulled down her top with a single hand to expose her generously bountiful breasts. She was also biting her bottom lip salaciously, and her left eye was closed in a flirtatious wink.

Ichigo felt a small trail of blood drip out of his nose…

"Hello, Ichigo-"

Letting out a surprised shriek, the orange-head snapped his phone shut and shoved it back into his pocket with a speed that even Soi-Fon would have been impressed by. Bolting into an upright stance, he turned to look at whoever had managed to sneak up on him. "I wasn't doing anything!"

Sirzechs stared back at him with an utterly perplexed expression. "Uh… you alright there, kiddo?"

"Yep, couldn't be better. Why do you ask? Nothing's wrong. Why would there be _anything_ wrong?!"

The Crimson Satan took a cautious step back. "Okay then… in any case, I just came up to see how you were doing. I don't know if Grayfia already told you, but I've been stuck in meetings for the better half of the day. Have you been settling in well?"

Forcing himself to calm down, Ichigo nodded. "Y-Yeah. Grayfia gave me a bit of a history lesson, and then we had a late breakfast. I also met Surtur Second."

His godfather nodded in evident satisfaction. "That's good to hear. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to give you all the information myself, but my dear wife is a wonderful teacher. I have no doubt that you will be in good hands while experiencing her tutelage. As for Surtur… I hope that big oaf didn't rough you up too much."

The last part was said with a fond chuckle, and Ichigo smiled slightly at the obvious respect Sirzechs held for his Rook. Such a disposition only supported Grayfia's earlier claim that most servants within the Underworld were treated quite well.

It was a truly comforting reassurance.

"Will I meet the rest of your peerage soon?" the orange-head questioned.

Sirzechs nodded, folding his arms across his chest. "I would hope so. Mathers and Souji are both currently on assignment in the World of the Living, and Beowulf is helping to settle a land dispute between to rival noble families. I assume that they will all be back fairly soon, though."

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… Beowulf?! As in-"

"No, no," his godfather chuckled, shaking his head. "Not _the_ Beowulf of legend. He is actually a modern descendant of the ancient hero, but is just as impressive with a sword. The cocky little bastard even managed to give me a scratch once upon a time."

"What piece is he?"

"Beowulf is one of my current Pawns, along with Enku. MacGregor Mathers is my only Bishop, Souji Okita is my only Knight, and the great fish Bahamut is my remaining Rook. I take it that Grayfia informed you that she is my Queen?"

"Yeah."

"And how do you feel about all of this?" Sirzechs inquired, expression neutral. "I can't imagine that a human such as yourself is all too comfortable with the idea of servitude."

Ichigo's brows furrowed, and his crossed his own arms over his chest. It was still a rather complicated matter to wrap him head around completely, but he still decided to give his honest answer. "I can't say that understand it perfectly, but Grayfia told me that most servants are treated fairly by their masters. As long as that's the case, then I guess I'm fine with it."

Sirzechs' guarded mien morphed into a smile, and he nodded appreciatively. "I was hoping you would say something like that. Yes, I can assure you that the majority of Peerages in the Underworld are treated like family. The only real problems we've had with ill treatment come from families who are still somewhat loyal to the Old Satan Faction."

"And you're trying to rectify that?"

"I am. I give you my word."

"Then I trust you," Ichigo replied, smiling slightly as well.

"That's all I ask. Now, what do you say I show you something awesome?"

"What exactly do you define as being awesome?"

Sirzechs grinned roguishly. "How about a vintage guitar collection?"

Ichigo matched the grin with one of his own.

"Lead the way."

* * *

 **And there we go.**

 **Last chapter, I know I said that I would be updating either** _ **"Fibers of the Universe"**_ **or** _ **"The Legend of Earth Land"**_ **next, but I guess I've just been in a really strict** _ **"Bloodstained Souls"**_ **mood as of late. However, if you are a fan of one of those other two stories, then please do not worry. I promise that I will devote the time to working on one of them after uploading this.**

 **As promised, this chapter focusses almost entirely on Ichigo. The next one will return to the main Hellsing storyline, and we will continue to alternate until the highly anticipated climax of the Battle of London. I understand that many of you have been rather anxious to see Ichigo get his powers back, and I would like to sincerely thank you for being so patient with me. However, I can confirm that he will be back in action for the next big fight.**

 **Will Amaterasu restore his Soul Reaper powers?**

 **Will Sirzechs convince him to join the forces of the Underworld?**

 **Will Zeus convince him to join Olympus?**

 **I suppose you'll just have to keep reading to find out!**

 **Additionally, I hope the scene depicting the meeting between the Faction leaders will be received well. I know it kinda came out of nowhere to have Zeus be interested in Ichigo, so I felt it was only right to have a bit of actual logic and context to support that desire. True, Zeus is an egotistical primadonna, but I sincerely doubt he would want to associate with a former Soul Reaper unless it was truly necessary.**

 **We also got to see a bit more of why Amaterasu is so desperate to keep Ichigo within the Shinto Faction. She lost one grandchild long ago, and she doesn't want to lose another. I know that I kind of gave her a bitchy role in that she ordered the removal of Ichigo's memories, but I want to stress that she** _ **isn't**_ **a bad person. Gods are just used to doing whatever they please without acknowledging the consequences their actions may have on mortals.**

 **I mean, Christ Almighty, just look at the PJO series…**

 **Amaterasu** _ **does**_ **love Ichigo, but she also doesn't want to lose him.**

 **Well, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. As mentioned above, I will sincerely try to work on one of my other stories next.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _Omake_

* * *

 _(Six Years Ago; Nantahala, NC)_

It was a rather beautiful night.

The moon was full.

Crickets chirped melodiously in the grass.

Fireflies lazily flew through the air.

All in all, it was rather picturesque.

Closing his eyes, Isshin leaned back in his rocking chair and allowed all of the tension in his body to melt away. The kids were already asleep in the cabin, but he wasn't quite ready to call it a night just yet. Something had compelled him to come outside onto the porch and sit for a while, and he certainly wasn't in any kind of mood to argue against such a thing. He was feeling pretty good about himself, after all.

Earlier, he had cooked a delicious steak dinner.

Then, he had settled a debate over which movie to watch by suggesting _The Lion King._

Everyone had been happy with the choice, and the family and been able to spend some very enjoyable time together. It had been an extraordinary day, all the way from sunrise until sundown.

This vacation really had turned out to be a wonderful idea.

Giving himself a mental pat on the back, Isshin chuckled and slowly started to rock back and forth in his chair. This continued for several more minutes, with the only noise coming from the insects chirping and fluttering in the surrounding foliage. After a moment, though, a sudden creaking broke the tranquility.

Isshin didn't even have to open his eyes to know that someone else had just sat in the other rocking chair next to him. "What can I do for you, My Lady?"

"I suppose it is good to see that you still know how to show the proper amount of respect." The compliment was delivered reluctantly, and in a tone that spoke of absolutely zero tolerance for unnecessary nonsense.

Grinning, the former Captain cracked open a single eye.

A piercing silver gaze met his own.

So, she had decided to take on the appearance of a twenty-year-old this time?

That was rather rare.

Sitting up, Isshin gave to auburn-haired young woman his complete attention. "Have I done something wrong, Artemis? I give you my word that my family and I are only here to enjoy our vacation."

The Olympian goddess huffed, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I am no fool, Isshin Kurosaki. I am here to warn you to not interfere in the activities of me and my Hunters. It _cannot_ be a coincidence that you decided to come _here_ of all places just as we moved into the area."

He raised his hands peacefully. "I assure you that I have no ulterior motives. If I may ask, though… how did you even know we were here?"

"Your children apparently encountered my lieutenant earlier today."

"Ah."

Standing up, Artemis fixed him with an extremely serious expression. "Do you give me your word as a former member of the Gotei Thirteen that you are not here to cause any trouble? As much as it surprises me, you are relatively well-liked within the supernatural community. It would be unfortunate if I were forced to turn you into a wild beast."

Isshin made an x-shaped motion over his heart. "I promise that I won't do anything untoward. However, I _would_ like to know why exactly you're in Nantahala. If there is something in the area that is a threat to my children, then I would like to be made aware."

The moon goddess nodded in understanding. "My Hunt is currently pursuing a rather troublesome manticore, but it should be dealt with by this time tomorrow. No harm will come to your children, I assure you."

"Thank you."

Artemis turned away, and vanished into the night.

Isshin watched her go, before turning his gaze towards the forest. Narrowing his eyes, he made a mental note to erect several protective seals around the cabin. If there was a manticore out there, it would _not_ be getting anywhere near his children.

And if it _did_ , he would make sure the monster regretted it.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: For Queen and Country

* * *

 **Hello again.**

 **To start this chapter, I would like to respond to several reviews I received for the previous one. I am not attempting to call anyone out or anything like that, but I still feel like I should defend my decisions.**

 **Someone stated that they think I was reaching too far when I compared the Underworld's treatment of Reincarnated Devils with how Central Forty-Six treats the citizens of the Rukongai Districts. They supported this claim by saying that Aizen was impersonating them for the good majority of** _ **Bleach**_ **, and although this is definitely true, the conditions of the Rukongai District never really changed no matter who was in charge. It has always been largely comprised of dilapidating and decaying slums, even though some areas are better maintained than others. In my eyes, I think the comparison was pretty fair; most of the people of the Rukongai** _ **are**_ **treated like lesser citizens, even if this isn't wholly intentional on the part of the ruling class.**

 **Ichigo may not have truly seen what life was like under Central Forty-Six for a good portion of** _ **Bleach,**_ **but he would still be able to see that nothing had really changed after their return. The people within the Seireitei are** _ **definitely**_ **given better treatment than those who live outside.**

 **On another note, I would assume that Central Forty-Six would** _ **still**_ **be somewhat cautious around Ichigo considering their past experience with Substitute Soul Reapers. Those in charge of Soul Society have a history of acting paranoid, and I can't necessarily blame them after learning about Kūgo Ginjō's murder spree.**

 **Thirdly, there was another claim made that stated it was a somewhat poor decision on my part to compare the treatment of Reincarnated Devils to the Hollows that lived outside of Las Noches during Aizen's time as Hueco Mundo's ruler. Granted, most of the residents of the Hollow realm are soul eating monsters, but when I wrote the description, I was thinking of intelligent Hollows like Nelliel and her friends. And yes, Aizen** _ **did**_ **ignore them in favor of pursuing his own goals. So, while he wasn't actively trying to rule a fair and honest kingdom, those Hollows were still definitely treated like second-class citizens when compared to the Espada and their Fracción.**

 **And yes, I know that the Espada were still just a means to an end.**

 **To repeat myself, I would like to assure everyone that I am not trying to single anyone out for a review I may or may not have appreciated. I take every review I receive into true consideration, and that is why I decided to take the time to write out this response.**

 **But, in the end, my opinions and thoughts are my own. Everyone is completely free to disagree. Sorry for the long Author's Note.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**

* * *

 _(Deus Ex Machina; Skies over London)_

The Major's grand flagship was truly something to behold.

At least by ordinary human standards, anyway.

Named rather appropriately, the _Deus Ex Machina_ was easily distinguishable from Millennium's additional two zeppelins by its outer coating of red and black paint, which was arranged in a pattern resembling a checkerboard. Still, though it was impressive, it was a weapon designed purely for the sole purpose of bringing untold death and destruction to the innocent masses.

From her position standing next to Candice, who was also adorned in her traditional Quincy uniform, Bambietta glanced around at all of the other individuals present in the main viewing room of the airship. Aside from the multitudes of undead Soldat standing in clustered groups throughout the enclosed space, the remaining Sternritter were also in attendance.

Well, they weren't _true_ Sternritter….

They were simply psychotic mongrels that His Majesty had decided to take pity upon.

Scowling, Bambietta turned her attention back to the enormous panels of glass at the very head of the room, which allowed clear visibility of everything outside. Thousands of feet below them, and easily distinguishable by the artificial light it gave off, was the bustling city of London. The unfortunate civilians going on about their nightly routines had no idea that they were about to experience a literal Hell on Earth…

"And thus, we have come to declare war…" the Major spoke up giddily. The pudgy little man was seated in his leather armchair, and an expression of utter delight was spread across his face. His lips were pulled back into a gruesome smile, and his sickly yellow eyes shone brightly with anticipation. "This is the moment we have all been waiting for, my dear comrades. For tonight, we have a wonderful opportunity. If we play our part correctly, it will enable His Majesty to take one step closer to making his ambitions a reality!"

The SS soldiers all cheered proudly in reply, stomping their feet and waving their weapons in the air.

Standing up, the Major raised his own hands into the air as if he were preaching a sermon. "In a few moments, our armies of the undead will tear the city of London apart! My precious Sternritter, who have been so graciously given their gifts by His Majesty, will deal irrevocably heavy blows to the enemy! And at the end of it all, our two Quincy guests will have the ultimate privilege of bringing home His Majesty's lost son!"

The cheering increased in intensity.

"Are you prepared, my soldiers?"

An overwhelming cry of affirmation echoed throughout the observation room.

The Major laughed. It was not a sound of lunacy, but more akin to one of satisfaction. "Then burn everything to the ground! Kill everything that gets in your way. Rip and tear, until it is done! Feast upon the corpses of the innocent, and bathe in the blood of your fallen enemies! For tonight is your moment of glory… nay, your moment of _triumph_! We have waited sixty years for this night, and now it is finally upon us. So, I ask again… are you prepared?!"

The cheering was deafening.

Sparing another glance at her fellow Sternritter, Bambietta immediately felt a repulsing sensation worm its way into her stomach at the sight of their unrestrained glee. Much like the Major, the Doktor was smiling like an absolute madman. To the blond man's left, Zorin and Schrödinger were both cackling like a pair of deranged hyenas, while the Captain merely stood in stoic silence.

Motioning with his hands to request silence, the Major then clasped them behind his back and turned to regard his group of commanding officers. "First Lieutenant Zorin Blitz… please step forward."

The heavily muscled woman did as commanded, audibly cracking her neck as she did so. Her enormous scythe, resting over her broad shoulders, gave off an eerie metallic sheen in the moonlight that shone through the windows. All throughout her tenure with Millennium, Bambietta had never been able to completely discern what function the incomprehensible tattoos littering the right side of Zorin's body were supposed to have. However, the vile spirit energy they emitted led her assume that they were directly connected to her Schrift.

"Yes, Herr Major?" the orange-haired vampire sneered wickedly. "I'm ready for orders."

" _Wunderbar,_ " the Major replied with a chuckle. "As you know, our primary target is the Hellsing Organization and the undead monster, Alucard. I am placing you in command of a small group of soldiers, who will accompany you on a separate zeppelin to the Hellsing Estate."

"Yes Sir."

"Please avoid a direct assault for now. I will arrive with the main force post haste."

Zorin snorted arrogantly, readjusting the weight of her scythe. "I don't know why you would even bother, Herr Major. Without Alucard, the Hellsing forces are as weak as schoolchildren. My men should have no trouble cutting them down like the weeds they are."

The Major's chuckling returned, and he shook his head reproachfully.

Zorin's bravado immediately faltered.

"You would do well to not take the Hellsing women lightly, Lieutenant," the portly man admonished. HIs tone was oddly similar to that which a disappointed parent would typically use when lecturing their misbehaving child. "Integra Hellsing and Seras Victoria are not to be trifled with. Sir Interga Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing is the descendant of the infamous Doctor Abraham Hellsing, and the head of the greatest family of vampire hunters in recorded history. Additionally, she is the _only_ authority that Alucard willfully recognizes. That fact alone makes her a truly deadly adversary…"

Silence echoed throughout the room as the information was allowed a moment to settle in properly. Off to the side, Schrödinger chuckled impishly as his comrade was disciplined. However, he was quickly silenced by a quick cuff to the back of the head from the Doktor.

"Owie!"

Once he was certain that his words had made the desired impact, the Major continued speaking while maintaining eye contact with his subordinate. "And, of course, there is the police woman. Seras Victoria is perhaps something you might consider to be a joke, but she is the direct spawn of Alucard himself. His power courses through her veins, and could be released at any given moment. Both of these women are inexperienced, imperfect, and _untested_. I would therefore argue that, like Alucard, they are archenemies worthy of our utmost caution and scrutiny. That is why you shall simply hold without engaging; do you understand your orders, Zorin?"

"They are crystal clear, Battalion Commander."

"Then everything is set! It is time for us to open up the floodgates of war." Turning away from Zorin, the Major regarded both Bambietta and Candice with an amused expression. "And of course, I trust that the two of you are ready to make you move when the time comes?"

Candice nodded silently.

"We are prepared, Herr Major," Bambietta replied levelly.

"Excellent!" the deranged Nazi smiled enthusiastically. Sitting back down in his chair, he crossed his legs and placed his hands in his lap. Behind him, a large monitor blinked to life and highlighted their previously established points of attack. "Our first target will be the city of London. The River Thames. Big Ben. The Houses of Parliament. The Ministry of Defense. Buckingham Palace. Destroy them all! Leave no trace! By the time the sun rises, this place will be an indistinguishable mountain of rubble and corpses!"

A single pair of footsteps echoed throughout the enclosed space, and a nameless officer approached the Major's seat with a silver tray in hand. On the tray, there was only a small martini glass, which the Major seemed more than happy to accept. Raising his new drink into the air, the amber-eyed man released yet another maniacal laugh. "Come then! Let us feast upon the eight million souls occupying this wretched city! Let us kill, and be killed."

"Here, here!" the Doctor called out.

" _HERE, HERE!"_

The toast was echoed by all of the soldiers present.

Yet again, Bambietta was forced to swallow the bile that threatened to rise in her throat. How could such people exist in the world? How could _anyone_ be so happy to bring death and carnage to so many innocents? It was absolutely appalling. And worst of all, she would forever go down in history as having been a part of the massacre that was to come.

Tears brimmed in her eyes.

Fingers suddenly grazed her gloved knuckles, and Bambi grasped Candice's hand like a lifeline.

A metallic screech pierced the air, signifying that the bomb doors were opening. Mere moments later, countless V-1 flying bombs were launched from the airships and down towards the city below. They curved through the air and over one another, each locked onto a designated landmark.

Bambietta finally cried as soon as she heard the first explosion.

* * *

 _(Ministry of Defense; London, England)_

Chaos had enveloped the room.

Alarms wailed over loudspeakers. Monitors bilked frantically. Desk workers rushed back and forth in a panic as if the devil himself was hot on their heels. It had all happened within a matter of moments; in one instant, everything had been completely orderly, and then in the next the world seemed to have gone to hell. Communications were down all over the city, and no one could seem to figure out what exactly was happening.

But she knew.

Narrowing her crystalline eyes, Integra drummed her fingers against the tabletop.

Without a doubt, this was the work of Millennium. With Alucard seemingly stranded out at sea aboard the _Eagle_ for the foreseeable future, this was the perfect opportunity for the bastards to strike. Ichigo was out of the country as well, which meant that the Hellsing Organization's defenses were currently reduced to Miss Victoria and the Wild Geese. It wasn't much, but a fledgling vampire and a group of trained mercenaries was still better than nothing.

Across the table, Sir Penwood allowed this head to fall into his hands. Rivers of sweat poured down his face, and his entire body trembled in horror. "How in the bloody hell did this happen so quickly?! Even if the entire city of London were to be attacked, our communication systems _should_ have remained operational!"

As if on cue, the main doors to the room suddenly busted inward off their hinges. Gunfire tore in from the hallway, shredding several unfortunate office workers. Heavy footfalls echoed from down the corridor, and soon an armed group of British soldiers stormed into the room. Several guards, who had been on standby for the past few minutes, made to reach for their weapons. However, they too were quickly gunned down in a hail of bullets.

Integra raised an intrigued brow as a pistol was pressed against her left temple.

So, it was treason, then?

"What in blazes is going on?!" Penwood demanded in outrage. "What in the world do you lot think you're doing?"

"Oh, shut up!" one of the traitors shouted, firing a single shot that whizzed right past Penwood's ear. Grinning sadistically, the man, who was evidently the one in charge of the betrayal, stepped forward to level his gun directly between the Vice Admiral's eyes. "What is going on, Sir Penwood, is a very good day for vampires. A very good day _indeed_ , considering I've just captured the great Sir Integra."

Oh?

He thought so, did he?

Puffing out a cloud of smoke, Interga couldn't help but release a small chuckle. Honestly, it was so pathetic. These men had obviously sold out the British Empire all for the paltry reward of becoming immortal, and now they thought they held an advantage due to their newly undead status. However, though they almost certainly _did_ possess the upper hand when it came to pure physical might, brawn was nothing compared to highly refined talent.

Her light chuckling quickly became fully fledged laughter.

The commanding traitor adopted a look of absolute disbelief. However, the expression remained in place only for a moment, and he swiftly turned his weapon on her. "What the hell is so funny?! We have you beaten!"

"What's so funny?" Integra repeated sarcastically, crossing one of her legs over the other. Breathing in another deep lungful of cigar smoke, she didn't even bother to meet the eyes of the clueless bastard. "Why, the whole bloody thing, of course. Honestly… you're like the vampire equivalent of a newborn infant. We are now the institution of your annihilation. You're all like a gang of _frogs_ parading carelessly in front of a poisonous _viper_. Of course, it's funny."

The commander faltered momentarily, before training his gun on her forehead with the clear intent of blowing her brains out. "Are you kidding me? You fool! I'm not afraid of you!"

Integra smirked, lazily glancing in his direction. "I hope you can still claim your iron cross from your Corporal while in Hell…"

A bright blue flash of light danced between them, and the traitor's arm suddenly fell to pieces. A fountain of blood erupted from the fresh wound, and the man released an agonized scream of pain as he collapsed to the floor.

"Walter, please clean up this mess…" Integra requested.

"As you wish, Sir." Stepping out from behind her chair, the aging butler adjusted the sleeves of his suit as he walked towards the flabbergasted group of remaining insurgents. "I suppose it is time that I bend these misbehaving children over my knee."

"Die, bastard!" one of the traitors cried out.

Gunfire ripped through the air once again, but Walter merely continued to steadily move forward. The microfilament wires he always kept on his person spilled out from his sleeves and encircled his body, preventing him from taking any damage whatsoever. Every single round of ammunition that was fired in his direction was easily ripped apart by his impenetrable shield. Twitching his left index finger barely a fraction of an inch, the Hellsing retainer sent one of the wires whipping forward, where it vertically bisected one of the traitorous soldiers.

The unsuspecting man fell into two large pieces, and his compatriots all released unified sounds of disgust and horror.

Of course, they were quick to share in his fate.

Walter effortlessly danced between spurts of gunfire, and tore the bastards asunder as if it were mere child's play. Their blood sprayed through the air like waterfalls of red, and their flesh was relentlessly shredded until they looked like nothing more than large piles of raw hamburger meat.

Heads rolled.

Limbs fell to the floor.

Torsos were sliced cleanly in half.

And through it all, Walter maintained a completely composed smile.

There was certainly a good reason why he had been called the 'Angel of Death.'

Sir Penwood cried out in surprise as a small amount of blood splashed across his nose.

In a matter of moments, all of the traitors were dead. Returning to a fully upright stance, Walter swept an arm across his chest and lowered himself into a polite bow. "And there we have it. I apologize for making such a mess, gentlemen. I do hope that you can forgive me."

"No, no… that's quite alright," Penwood assured him. He reached into one of the pockets lining his suit and pulled out a handkerchief, which he used to wipe away the blood on his face. "Job well done, Mister Dornez."

"I must apologize as well, Sir Penwood," Integra spoke up, blowing out yet another cloud of smoke. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the tabletop and propped her chin against her knuckles. "Up until now, I was wholly convinced that _you w_ ere the traitor in our midst."

The aforementioned man chuckled humorlessly. "I may be powerless against these bastards, my dear, but I am _no_ coward."

The room suddenly shook under the force of what could only have been an explosion.

"Sir, the city is under siege!"

"We haven't heard from any of the Chiefs of Staff!"

"We've lost contact with over one hundred and fifty military command centers across the British Empire! However, we still have full reason to believe that they are currently engaging the enemy forces!"

The panicked shouting continued, prompting Interga to momentarily close her eyes. Clearing her mind, she inhaled a deep breath before releasing it as an equally heavy exhale. Opening her eyes again, she glanced down towards the corpse of the bastard who had threatened to shoot her. "It'll be the same everywhere, I presume…"

"Sir Integra…?" Penwood spoke up questioningly.

Rising from her seat, the blonde woman straightened out her overcoat. "The Ministry of Defense is sure to be on Millennium's list of targets. We should all vacate this building before they arrive. It's time to leave."

At one of the computer stations, a button-pushing young man suddenly cried out in shock. "I'm receiving confirmation that Nazi soldiers are descending into the streets of London from an airship! Major landmarks are being bombarded, and civilian casualties are already estimated to be within the hundreds!"

"Sir Penwood, it's _time_!" Integra urged, slamming her open palms down onto the tabletop. "This building is about to be overrun by an army of heavily armed vampires. We _cannot_ stay here!"

Much to her surprise, her father's longtime friend closed his eyes resolutely. Additionally, the expression that overtook his face was one of utter seriousness. "Sir Integra… you and your assistant are to return to the Hellsing Estate as quickly as you can. There are duties that you are honor bound to perform. Now go, and see to your sworn obligations. I must stay and carry out my own…"

Her eyes widened in momentary surprise, but Integra quickly regained her composure. "This building can no longer _function_ as a command center. Do you have a death wish?!"

Penwood opened his eyes. They were hard, and full of determination. "It _is_ still possible that we may be able to reestablish communications with the outside world. If that happens, someone needs to be ready to relay orders again. _I_ am the commanding officer here, and this is _my_ facility; I refuse to abandon my post. I fully acknowledge that I am not a strong man… I have always been nervous, and I am still not quite sure how a man like me ended up in such a position of authority."

By now, the room had gone completely silent.

Everyone present was giving Sir Penwood their undivided attention.

Some men wept silently, while other officers did so openly.

They _all_ knew what their commanding officer was implying…

Penwood maintained his newfound composure, and met Integra's gaze steadfastly.

"Actually, I suppose that isn't true," he chuckled mirthlessly. "I was born with a title and money; my authority was expected. My position was handed to me by _obligation_. So, given that, the least I can do is perform the responsibilities I have been given. Now, off with you, Sir Integra! There are evils moving against us that only _you_ and Hellsing can face."

Understanding dawned on her, and Integra breathed out a regretful sigh. Still, she immensely respected her mentor for the decision that he'd made. Reaching into her overcoat, she withdrew a pistol and a corresponding clip of ammunition. Placing them both on the table, she slid them across the wooden surface towards Sir Penwood. "The gun is loaded, of course. It carries blessed silver bullets, which a dare say you will find more effective than ordinary iron."

Plucking the cigar out from between her teeth, she snuffed it out on the ashtray positioned on the table. Smiling brightly in a way that she hadn't for several years, the Hellsing matriarch met Penwood's surprised gaze and nodded in acknowledgment. "Best of luck to you, Sir Penwood. And happy hunting."

The aforementioned man adopted a smile of his own. "Thank you. And good hunting to you as well, Sir Integra." Turning to look away from her, Penwood regarded the rest of his staff. "All personnel are to evacuate immediately! Only essential workers should stay behind. No… on second thought, I am more than capable of operating the emergency systems by myself. All of you, get out of here! Quickly!"

His immediate subordinates all shared a laugh.

There were four of them, and all were dressed in the same uniform to symbolize their status.

"What's so funny?" Penwood demanded. "I gave an order! Evacuate!"

One of the Generals stepped forward, shaking his head. "There is no need for hysterics, Sir. We all know that you have no idea how the consoles operate. Please, let us stay and see this though to the end right alongside you."

Penwood's expression morphed into one of surprise. Glancing around the room, his gaze swept over every man and woman present. "Do you all feel this way…?"

Overwhelming cries of affirmation answered him.

Despite herself, Integra felt the sight warm her heart.

Penwood trembled with emotion in his seat, but his smile had returned once again. "Very well… thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Please, return to your posts and carry on with your duties."

Not needing to hear the order a second time, the officers and staff members in the room all immediately went back to attempting to reestablish communication with the outside world. Commands were shouted, orders were acknowledged, and men and women alike wore completely new expressions of determination.

Integra smiled.

She was proud to call these people her countrymen. They were willing to fulfill their duties even though they knew they would not survive the night. She would honor them appropriately, when this was all over.

Turning around, she moved towards the singular entrance to the room. "We're leaving, Walter. Let's get home as quickly as possible, shall we?"

"As you say, Ma'am."

Pushing through the enormous set of doors, Integra marched down the dimly lit hallway that led to the garage. "We'll take the car. Will that be a problem?"

"Not in the slightest," her assistant replied.

"Good. I _refuse_ to let anything get in my way. As the head of the Hellsing family, I _swear_ it…"

They walked silently from then on. There honestly wasn't anything more to be said. In a few short minutes, they finally reached the garage, where Integra got into the back of her family's limousine. Walter made himself comfortable behind the wheel, and backed them out of the compound and onto the main city streets of London.

The world outside looked like something straight out of a nightmare.

Even Integra, who had seen things that would drive ordinary people beyond the brink of insanity, found herself utterly repulsed by the sheer carnage and brutality of it all. Bodies littered the streets. Hundreds upon hundreds of bodies. Most of them were ordinary civilians, but the corpses of a few policemen were strewn in occasionally with the masses. Their standard issue weapons were still clasped firmly in their dead hands, and Integra silently praised them for having gone down fighting.

Aside from the bodies, roaring fires also swept across most of the city.

Ash clouded the sky, and rained down like was foretold in the Book of the Apocalypse.

Quite honestly, it _did_ look like it was the end of the world. But she would make sure that it wasn't. No matter what she was forced to do, Integra promised herself that she would find a way to end all of this madness.

Movement suddenly caught her eye. "Stop the car, Walter!"

The vehicle immediately screeched to a halt, and Integra smashed open her window with an elbow to get a better look at what she had seen. To her horrified disgust, a group of vampiric Nazi soldiers appeared to be feasting on the remains of what had undoubtedly once been a happy family. One of the undead bastards was even gnawing on the corpse of an infant.

Lips peeling back in fury, Integra reached under the seat and pulled out a SMG. The weapon was fully stocked with holy silver ammunition, and the blonde quickly brought it up to her eye. As she locked on target, she called forth a hail of retribution. The bullets ripped the vampires to pieces, spraying their rotten and diseased blood all over the cobblestone street. They didn't even have time to react properly as their undead lives were swiftly and ruthlessly ended.

Once she was sure they would no longer be a problem, Integra pulled her weapon back in through the window and leaned back against her seat. "Let's continue onward. We can't afford to waste unnecessary time."

"Yes Ma'am," Walter replied gravely.

The car lurched forward, and they resumed their high-speed return to Hellsing Manor.

As the buildings flew by, Integra fished into her pocket and pulled out her personal communicator. Dialing in Ichigo's cellphone number, she held the device up to her ear and prayed that she would get receive answer. Granted, the boy wouldn't be able to help very much given his current condition, but having one more soldier on the ground would still be immensely helpful. Several moments passed, and she finally bit out a curse and tore the communicator from her ear.

Ichigo wasn't answering…

Unfortunate, but it still wouldn't make much difference.

The limo tore down the ruined city streets, and they passed even more countless piles of corpses. Blood flowed across the cobblestone in rivers, and occasionally Integra spotted several bodies that had been impaled on street lights. No doubt to serve as some kind of sick, twisted trophies. Suddenly, the radio crackled, and Walter reached forward to adjust the volume. The normal stations were all down, so the military had likely seen fit to commandeer the broadcast system for their own purposes.

" _Attention all soldiers! I repeat, attention all soldiers! This is Vice Admiral Shelby Penwood of Her Majesty's Royal Navy."_

Integra felt her eyes widen.

" _I don't know if there is even anyone left to receive this message… but the Ministry of Defense will soon fall. The monsters are almost upon us, and have made it through the last of our defenses. I now deliver the_ final _orders from this facility, to whomever might be listening to this transmission. Keep fighting, and do your duty…"_

Muffled explosions echoed over the radio, along with several partial screams. Gripping the weapon in her hands with every ounce of strength she possessed, Integra braced herself for what she knew was to come. Death, though frequent as it was in her line of work, was not something she would ever truly become accustomed to.

Human life was a precious thing, and it appalled her whenever a life was snuffed out.

Still, this had been Penwood's choice to make…

He, along with the workers who had elected to stay behind with him, were some of the finest men and women she would ever have the privilege of knowing. Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she lowered her head. "Well done, soldiers. You defended Queen and Country down to the very last breath…"

She momentarily reminisced of the time when Sir Penwood had first been informed of her ascension to the head of the Hellsing Organization. He had been shocked, of course, and had shamelessly questioned her abilities and potential. However, once she had voiced her conviction and determination to lead the Hellsing Family brightly into the future, her father's friend had supported her with every fiber of his being.

" _I hold in my hands a pistol,"_ Shelby continued firmly. " _This weapon will not be enough to save my life, but I will still use it until I no longer have any more air in my lungs. To all of you who are listening, I_ implore _you to defend your country until your dying moments. May God be with you."_

A telltale banging, likely the result of a door being blasted off its hinges, echoed over the radio. The familiar sound of machine gun fire also carried over, as well as the ominous growling and hissing of undead soldiers. Screaming erupted almost instantaneously.

Still, though it all, a lone pistol could be heard firing shot after shot.

Integra felt both pride and sadness take hold of her heart.

Then, after several moments, a deafening explosion occurred and the radio went silent.

Vice Admiral Shelby M. Penwood was no more…

"Are you alright, Sir Integra?" Walter asked quietly. He continued to face forward, but his eyes rested upon her through the rear-view mirror.

Opening her eyes, the blonde lowered her brow into a furious expression. Her lips pulled up into a snarl, and a ragged breath escaped her lungs. However, in the very next instant, all of the tension seeped out of her body. Slumping against the seat, she merely breathed out a tired sigh. "Just take me home…"

"As you wish."

The car's headlights suddenly illuminated a meandering group of Ghouls in the road, but Walter did not make any move to slow down. It would be far more merciful to simply put the undead creatures out of their misery. As such, the elderly retainer accelerated the vehicle and rammed into the monsters head-on. The impact sent rotten intestines and body parts flying everywhere, but Walter still didn't slow down for a moment.

Swerving dangerously around a tight corner, he suddenly let out a light gasp and _slammed_ a foot onto the breaks. The car screeched loudly in protest, and Integra braced herself against the back of the driver's seat. As the vehicle made a full stop, she regained her bearings and leaned forward to direct a questioning look at her assistant. "What is it?"

For a moment, Walter remained completely silent. His eyes were fixated on an indiscernible point further down the road, and his grip on the steering wheel tightened noticeably.

"Sir Integra, please take my place behind the wheel…" he finally requested. "I'm afraid you will have to find another way across town."

"What are you doing?"

"Take the car and get out of here," the older man repeated as he opened the door and stepped out of the vehicle, completely ignoring her inquiry. "Take it, and go as _fast_ as you can. Do not try to find me; and no matter what, _do not_ look back."

"Walter…?" Narrowing her eyes, Integra cast her own gaze down the street. Against the fires roaring aimlessly in the background, she was finally able to make out a vaguely human-shaped silhouette in front of the flames. The figure stood motionless, and simply looked back at them without moving a single muscle."

"With the way I am now, I'm not quite sure how long I'll be able to hold out against that man," Walter admitted tonelessly. His voice was grim, and even from her place behind him, Integra could see that his entire frame was tensed in preparation for an assault.

Stepping out of the car as well, she cautiously moved forward and positioned herself in the driver's seat. However, before closing the door, she met her subordinate's eyes one last time. "Live through this, you hear me? You would do well to consider that an order, understand?"

"If you insist, Ma'am."

Nodding, Integra closed the door and placed her hands on the steering wheel. Shifting into reverse, she backed down the street in the direction they'd just come from. She didn't want to leave Walter; he had been the next best thing to a father she had ever had. Still, as Sir Penwood had said earlier, she had certain duties which she was honor bound to uphold. Swerving around a tight corner and into an alleyway, Integra shifted into drive and smashed her foot against the accelerator.

The car lurched forward, and sped through the city towards Hellsing Manor.

* * *

How many years had it been?

They hadn't done this dance in quite some time, but Walter would be the first to admit that he was not in the same physical shape that he had been sixty years ago. His ones creaked more nowadays, and he almost always woke up with a new ache every morning. He was an old man, but he was still a soldier.

And he would be _damned_ if he didn't die like one.

The microfilament wires in his sleeves spilled out, dancing around his body as an impenetrable barrier.

Down the street, the Captain finally took a step forward of his own. The man's crimson eyes glowed ominously, and the lights cast by the inferno around them shadowed his features in a truly menacing way.

Still, Walter was not deterred. Moving his arms and flexing his fingers, the Hellsing butler sent his wires whipping through the air and down the street towards their target. Unfortunately, the Captain merely raised his hands and _caught_ the razor-sharp wires with barely any effort whatsoever. A small amount of blood seeped through his gloves, but the wounds were unbelievably shallow. Walter scowled, doing his absolute best to force his weapons to cut deeper into the man's flesh. "Of _course_ … out of everyone I could have encountered, it had to be _you._ "

The Captain didn't reply, and Walter's attention was quickly demanded by the massive zeppelin that suddenly descended through the clouds directly above them. Spotlights burst to life, and the crackle of an intercom filled the air.

" _You are correct, boy!"_ The Major's voice crowed condescendingly, amplified over the loudspeakers. _"So, butler, what has it been? Nearly fifty-five years? It's nice to know that after all this time, you still manage to find a way to interrupt me during my dinner."_

Walter's scowl deepened.

The intensity of the spotlights increased exponentially.

* * *

Integra cursed angrily as she grazed an abandoned car.

Her own vehicle swerved violently under the force of the impact, but she quickly managed to regain control. Pressing her foot down on the accelerator so that it rested flat against the floor, she willed the limousine forward at a speed that it was certainly not accustomed to traveling. Still, she wouldn't allow something as inconsequential as that to stop her.

Glowing red eyes suddenly looked at her through the driver's window.

Sneering, Integra turned another sharp corner. Her vampiric pursuer slammed into the side of the limousine and was dragged underneath the wheels. HIs compatriots, on the other hand, continued to chase after her without even reacting. Unfortunately, their supernatural speed _easily_ allowed them to keep up with her. Without warning, gunfire tore into the back of the limo, and Integra was forced to swerve repeatedly to avoid taking the full force of the assault.

The ordinary bullets were simple enough to outmaneuver, but the RPG-7s that followed were an entirely different story. The car was bombarded with showers of rubble as the rocket-propelled projectiles bombarded the street all around her. Driving wildly, Integra was able to avoid most of the attack, but one lucky soldier was apparently able to fire with enough precision to hit her left rear tire.

The limousine swerved out of control, and Integra braced herself as the vehicle rolled over a curb and crashed directly into the front of a partially-destroyed Italian restaurant. The hood popped off immediately, and every piece of glass in the car shattered. Not willing to let a goddamn car accident of all things get the better of her, Integra kicked open the driver's side door and stepped out onto the street.

She was immediately greeted by the sight of a fully armed SS soldier. The vampiric man raised his rifle-mounted bayonet, and leapt into the air with the weapon pointed directly at the center of her forehead. "Integra Hellsing! By the orders of the Battalion Commander, prepare to- HRK!"

Hissing in disgust, Integra unsheathed the rapier she always held on her person and decapitated the idiotic Nazi with a single swipe. His head rolled to the street like a soccer ball, but it seemed that wasn't quite enough to deter his remaining fellows.

Facing the rest of them, the Hellsing matriarch adopted a fierce scowl and prepared to defend herself.

The undead Nazis all laughed in unison, raising their MP-40s.

"You don't know when you're beat, do you _Fräulein_?" one of them snarled sarcastically. "Your situation is hopeless, so you may as well surrender. This is not _your_ London anymore."

Scoffing, Integra reached into her overcoat and pulled out another cigar. Placing it firmly between her teeth while maintaining full eye contact with the bastards standing before her, she raised a foot and _slammed_ it down on the head of the man she'd decapitated. Her hand now free, she brought out her lighter and lit up the cigar. "Surrender? Give up? That certainly is what someone like you would recommend. _Cowards_ , who could not bear the weight of their own humanity. You pathetic monsters _disgust_ me!"

Swiping her rapier through the air, she pointed it towards the vampire who'd spoken to her. "Come on, then! Show me what mockeries of the undead can do!"

The Nazi laughed, and discarded his weapon. The MP-40 fell to the ground, and he leapt into the air with a hand raised in preparation to pierce her heart. However, as gravity brought him back down towards the ground, a light fluttering sound filled the air. It was as if someone had thrown hundreds of pieces of paper out a nearby window. Without any warning whatsoever, the vampire was skewered by at least half a dozen glowing bayonets.

Integra's eyes widened in pure shock.

Her would be attacker gurgled in surprise, before falling to the ground as a dead heap of flesh.

Turning her gaze to the night sky, Intgera watched as an shadowed figure leapt off a nearby rooftop. The enormous shape landed between her and the rest of the Nazis, and soon Alexander Anderson revealed himself in his entirety as he slowly rose up to his full height. "A bit late for a young woman to be walking home by herself, don't you think?"

The attempt at humor was shocking, but not as shocking as his sudden rush to her defense.

Behind Anderson, the Nazis took several collective steps back and muttered amongst each other in just as much disbelief.

"I-It's him!"

"The Judas Priest!"

"Saint Guillotine!"

"Iscariot's monster!"

Cassock fluttering in the wind, Anderson's lips pulled back into a deranged smile. "You must have a death wish, you mad woman!" he laughed, leaning directly into Integra's personal space. "Here you are, taunting a group of vampires with your sword in hand and blood on your face. You must be truly desperate if you're willing to step into the fray yourself! You hear that, Heinkel?"

"Aye!"

Turning around and looking up at yet another rooftop, Integra found her surprise increase even more as her eyes landed upon what appeared to be a decently-sized collection of Iscariot soldiers. At the head of the group, stood Heinkel Wolfe and Yumiko Takagi. Both had their weapons drawn, but expressions of indifference were stretched across their faces.

Heinkel also had a cigarette of her own held between her lips. "Father Anderson, I thought our orders were to simply obsessive without interfering…?"

"Not to mention, rescuing the Hellsing woman is a serious violation of our code of beliefs," Yumiko added.

"What was I supposed to do, just sit back and watch?" Anderson retorted. "The Iscariot Organization will be the ones to crush the Hellsing name. We are the only ones who _deserve_ to crush them! No one else may interfere! No one else can have them!"

Behind the priest, one of the Nazi vampires finally seemed to gather enough courage to step forward. "So, you're with Iscariot, are you? You still won't get in our way!"

"Bite your tongue," Anderson replied, glancing over his shoulder. "The dead have no right to speak." A pair of bayonets slid out of his sleeves, and her firmly grasped them in hand. "Do the dead dare to walk the Earth before my eyes? Would those who abandon God, and embrace a heretical order, _dare_ to meet my gaze?! Iscariot will not allow it! _I_ will not allow it!"

Integra watched as Heinkel and Yumiko both leapt off the roof, landing next to their superior.

Heinkel raised her pistols.

Yumiko fell into a swordsman's stance.

"You will be cut down like straw!" Anderson declared, continuing his tirade. The bayonets in his hands were brought up, and he scratched them against one another to produce a bright shower of orange sparks. "You will fall before Our Lord's will! Amen! Speak up, men of God! Tell us all who you are!"

The rest of the Iscariot soldiers all descended to the street, and marched forward to form a protective circle around Integra. Each person held a different weapon, and they all looked more than prepared to use them. "WE ARE THE SOLDIERS OF ISCARIOT!"

" _Who_ are you?" Anderson shouted.

"WE ARE JUDAS ISCARIOT!"

"Well then, Iscariot. I ask you… what do you hold in your right hand?!"

"DAGGERS AND POISON!"

"Soldiers of Iscariot, I ask you… what do you hold in your left hand?!"

"THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER AND A STRAW ROPE!"

Apparently not ready to back down from such a display, the Nazi soldiers finally charged forward. However, they proved to be absolutely no match for the raw strength of Alexander Anderson. With a single swipe of his bayonets, the enormous man cleaved four of the incoming vampires in half. Fountains of blood erupted from their corpses, and Anderson quickly kicked them back towards their remaining compatriots.

"Show them who you are, my soldiers of Iscariot!" he roared with a smile. "We are Apostles, yet not Apostles! We are believers, yet not believers! We are Disciples, yet not Disciples! We are heretics, yet we are not heretics! We are soldiers in the service of death, who bow our heads in reverence to Our Lord!"

Reaching into his coat, the Catholic priest flung forth a storm of blessed bayonets.

On his left, Heinkel sprayed a barrage of holy bullets into the enemy forces.

On his right, Yumiko cut down any that managed to get close with her katana.

Racing forward, Anderson leapt over a car and flipped in the air. Landing on one of the vampires and caving in the creature's skull, he wasted no time in pulling out even more bayonets and turning himself into a hurricane of destruction. Everything that moved around him was quickly reduced to shredded scraps of flesh and clothing. Blood and viscera painted the ground at his feet, and the Nazi vampires cried out in horror as they were sent to their eternal punishment.

Though not as skilled as their mentor, Heinkel and Yumiko still managed to collect quite a body count of their own. Working as a team, they moved through the group of Nazis and cut down anything that obstructed their path. Their opponents never even stood a chance.

Still hesitant to let her guard down, Integra held her rapier tightly as the remaining vampires were eliminated by the Iscariot soldiers surrounding her.

"We are the Apostles of Judas Iscariot!" Anderson shouted, standing atop a mountain of vampire corpses. "We are his holy flock of assassins. And upon the hour at which we were called, we cast our thirty pieces of silver into the sight of the holy, and hung ourselves with our rope of straw!"

Integra blinked as a stray bullet carved through the air next to her head.

* * *

 _(West of London)_

"Your Excellency, it is time to wake up."

Opening his eyes, Maxwell removed the newspaper that had been covering his face and slowly sat up in his deck chair. He was tired. The past weeks had truly been hectic, and though he was somewhat reluctant to admit it, he had definitely needed the few hours of rest.

However, there _was_ a bit of good news.

With all that had been occurring with Hellsing and Millennium as of late, His Holiness the Pope had finally seen fit to promote him to the rank of Bishop. It had been a momentous point in his career, and one that he had been anticipating for several years. As such, he was now in full command of the Papal Knights, which was comprised of a fighting force numbering some three-thousand strong.

And he fully intended to put his newfound authority to good use.

"What is it?" Maxwell replied, stifling a yawn. "Has something happened?"

"Yes Sir," one of the three men standing in front of him replied. If memory served, his name was Father Timothy Roland. "We have received word that Paladin Anderson and his _Corpo de Preti Armati_ have confronted Integra Hellsing, and have successfully captured her. They also combated the forces of the Last Battalion during the course of their assigned task."

"Of course, they have… and after I specifically asked them _not_ to engage." Standing up, Maxwell smoothed out his clothing and made himself otherwise presentable. Turning his gaze to the east, he walked out across the grassy cliffside where his forces had made their camp. London was visible in the distance, and even with how far away it was, the columns of smoke rising from the city were still easily visible. "Look how it burns. _Il Purgatorio._ "

"London has been humbled, Your Excellency," Father Roland observed, coming to stand directly behind him. "It has been so long since the British Empire's capital has known such fear. The number of dead are already beyond estimation, and as their tally increases, so to do the ranks of the undead."

"God has punished them," Maxwell replied, nodding in agreement. "It amuses me to see how they have still clung to their heresy on this Babylon on the River Thames. It certainly serves them right."

"Indeed, it does."

The priests all shared a chuckle, and Maxwell found himself joining in their laughter.

"What of America?" he inquired.

"In chaos, Your Excellency. The White House is burning even as we speak. According to one of our local sources, a Presidential Aide turned into a vampire during a cabinet meeting. Fourteen people were slaughtered, including the President himself."

"Sounds about right," Maxwell snorted dismissively. Further down the cliffside, he could hear the clanking of metallic armament. Good. The forces of God were arriving right on schedule. "Do our Bishops in the States await orders?"

"Of course."

"Tell them to strike only if the vampirism spreads. Otherwise, the Church will do nothing to get involved." Waving a hand through the air, Maxwell released a pleased sigh as he continued to watch the home of the Protestants burn to the ground. "Britain, Hellsing, and Alucard are my only true concerns. The Vatican is content to let the Major be since they were bedfellows during the last World War. I on the other hand, am _not_ as forgiving. He and his ilk will know a _Crusader's_ wrath!"

The sounds of marching grew louder.

Helicopter blades could also be heard whirring high in the air.

Laughing, Maxwell threw his arms out wide and turned his head towards the heavens above. "Tonight, we reclaim Great Britain from pagans and monsters alike! We will restore it to its former glory! In the name of our almighty God!"

Turning on his heel, the newly christened Bishop gazed out over the army of knights that had amassed on the hillside behind him and the priests. Every order within the Catholic Church was present, and it was truly a _wonderful_ sight…

The Knights of the Sagely Brethren…

…three hundred and forty members.

The Knights of the Order of Calatrava La Nueva…

…one hundred and eighteen members.

The Knights of the Military Order of Santo Stefano di Toscana…

…two hundred and fifty-seven members.

The Knights of the Order of Malta…

…two thousand four hundred and fifty-seven members.

All together, a unit of three thousand one hundred and seventy-two of the Church's best men.

Each was prepared to die in service to the Lord in Heaven, and each would gladly destroy anything in their path to spread the Word and Wisdom of God. And they all answered _directly_ to him. The feeling of power was nearly indescribable. It brought an extraordinarily wide smile to Maxwell's face.

He stepped forward, chuckling to himself.

As he did so, the knights all fell into a unified bow of reverence.

One of them, however, only remained in the position for a moment. The armored man stepped forward until he was directly in front of Maxwell, where he once again knelt in respect. "Upon orders from His Holiness, I humbly inform you that you have been promoted to the rank of Archbishop. Congratulations, Your Grace." Reaching underneath his cloak, the knight withdrew a customary scarlet and gold Pallium. Bowing his hand even lower to the ground, he humbly presented it to Maxwell. "We here assembled form the Knights of the Ninth Crusade. We are yours to command, Archbishop Maxwell. Utilize us as you will."

Maxwell's smile morphed into a satisfied smirk.

Gingerly taking the Pallium, he wound it around his neck. "Amen. I accept this with all of my purity. Your target is London, men of God! Destroy it! Let this new era of Catholic might finally begin!"

Spears, muskets, and halberds were raised high, and the collection of knights all rose to their feet with a deafening cry.

"AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

"AMEN!"

Maxwell cackled gleefully.

Watching as the warriors of the church turned to board the attack helicopters that would carry them to their target, he turned to fix his three priests with an amused expression. "To think that a bastard such as me would ever be given such a title… and such an _army_ to command! The Lord truly works in mysterious ways!"

His chucking continued, but the moment was interrupted as a young boy hurriedly approached him. "Your Grace! Your Grace!"

"Yes? What is it, my son?"

"Here, look."

Maxwell accepted a thick stack of documents. On the top, there was a satellite photo of the immediate area surrounding the island of London. "What is this? What am I looking at?"

"It's the carrier, Sir. The British one that was captured by Millennium."

"What of it?"

"Well…" the boy swallowed nervously. "Satellite photos confirm that it appears to be, well, _moving_."

"Absurd!" Maxwell cried out, sifting through the stack of papers. However, to his shock, it did indeed appear that the _HMS Eagle_ was steadily getting closer and closer to London with every passing hour. "How is this possible? The damage inflicted upon that ship during Alucard's assault should have made it impossible to function!"

"It has to be him…" Father Roland spoke up, a slight tremor in his voice. "Alucard is coming…"

"Then let him come!" Maxwell emphasized his declaration by throwing the photographs to the ground. Grinding them under his boot, he snarled ferociously. "Alucard, Hellsing, and Millennium alike will all perish under our feet. The Lord will use us as a cudgel to lay his foes into the dust. Our time as the tools for God's holy wrath has begun!"

Once more, he turned his gaze to London.

Attack helicopters flew over his head towards the burning city, and Maxwell felt a smile once again return to his face.

"Amen…"

* * *

 _(London, England)_

"How much remain?"

"Half of us have fallen. The Nazis are certainly fierce," Heinkel replied. The blonde was inspecting her weapons, ensuring that they had taken no permanent damage during their most recent battle. Turning towards the Iscariot soldiers that had managed to emerge with their lives, she barked out an order. "Light some torches! Burn these rotting bastards until they're nothing but ashes!"

Unfortunate.

Truly unfortunate.

But not unexpected.

Allowing his blessed bayonets to disappear once more into his sleeves, Anderson looked over his shoulder upon hearing a steady set of footsteps walking across the cobblestone. Integra Hellsing's expression was firm and determined, and she barely even flinched when Heinkel pressed one of her pistols against the back of her head.

"Where do you think you're going?" the German woman scowled.

"Back to my mansion," the Hellsing matriarch responded evenly. "My forces are under attack, and as their commanding officer, I _need_ to be there. So, lower your damn gun, Papist."

"I think not," Heinkel snarled. Her weapon pressed even _further_ into Integra's cascade of hair. "You're in Vatican custody now, you left-legger!"

"Light me."

Anderson chuckled at Heinkel's dumbfounded expression.

"W-What…?"

"Light my cigar, little miss 'Burn 'em All,'" Integra repeated. Reaching into her coat, she pulled out one of the cigars that always seemed to be in ready supply on her person. Turning around, she arched a brow as she placed it between her teeth. "Well? I'm waiting…"

"Are you _kidding_ me?! I have a gun in your face and you want me to light your damn cigar?!"

" _Do it."_

"You _do_ realize that I'm the one holding the gun on you, yes…?"

"Light me."

With no small amount of awkwardness, Heinkel grudgingly reached into her cassock and pulled out a lighter. Grumbling excessively as she did so, she held the little thing out and lit up a flame. Integra calmly leaned forward, and placed the tip of her cigar in the dancing spark. After a moment, she leaned back and breathed out a great lungful of smoke.

The Iscariot agents all looked on in dumbfounded disbelief.

"Now then… I'm going home. If the thought of it vexes you so much, then go ahead and shoot me." Without another word, Sir Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing turned around and calmly began to walk away.

"Why can't I bring myself to shoot her?!" Heinkel howled in aggravation towards the moon. "She's just one woman!"

"Oh, I know!" Yumiko declared, inching forward. "How about we tie her up and bring her with us?"

"I _can_ hear you, you know…"

The two paladins shrieked.

Integra momentarily stopped next to Anderson, and he felt her eyes move up to his face. "Well, they certainly seem ready to tie me up and throw me in the back of a car. Tell me… what is it that _you_ want, Anderson?"

"What do you think?" he replied gruffly. "The thought of a young woman being tied up absolutely repulses me. We're _paladins_. Not _rapists._ "

Yumiko cried out as if she'd been shot.

"I certainly can't walk home alone," Integra mused, puffing out another cloud of smoke. "Come with me, won't you?"

"Aye," Anderson nodded. "We'll protect your maiden virtue."

The rest of the Iscariot members present all released varying sounds of shock or disagreement.

"Step lightly, Papists," Integra chuckled, before once again resuming her walk in the direction of the Hellsing Estate.

Anderson was quick to follow.

He still certainly held an enormous amount of hatred for the woman in his heart, but it was also his sacred duty to protect those who could not protect themselves. The Lord in Heaven had always taught that even an enemy must be showed mercy if the situation called for it. Given that the Hellsing woman was in no proper position to defend herself against them _or_ the hordes of Nazi vampires running around the city, Anderson supposed it wouldn't hurt to lend her his aid just this one time.

Behind him, Heinkel and Yumie appeared to be far less enthused.

"How did she manage to rope us all into this…?" Heinkel muttered, kicking at a loose stone like a petulant child.

"Bishop Maxwell is going to be _very_ upset…" Yumie shivered.

"We _do_ technically have her in custody."

"Oh please, he isn't going to buy _that._ "

"Shut your pie hole!"

Their bickering was certainly amusing, but it would have to be put on hold for now. Glancing back over his shoulder as he continued to walk, Anderson looked both of his students in the eye. "Heinkel, why don't you scout ahead and see if you can't find us a working automobile. We're all no better than a bunch of sitting ducks while on foot."

"R-Right!"

"Father Anderson… do you think this is wise?" one of the holy soldiers standing behind them asked, stepping forward. "Your obedience might be questioned by the Vatican if your actions were discovered."

"Then let them question it if they dare." His lips pulled up into a scowl, and Anderson narrowed his eyes as he turned back to keep an eye on the woman they were escorting. "There is something about Maxwell's more recent methods that just don't sit right with me. I sincerely hope that the boy remembers that he is called to do the work of _God_. Not his own."

It was true, unfortunately.

With every promotion he had received as of late, Maxwell had become more and more irrational. A Bishop's power was a gift from the Lord above, and it would be a grave sin to abuse such a position. He could only hope that Maxwell would see reason before he made a decision that was too rash.

With a sigh, Anderson silently continued following Integra Hellsing.

* * *

 _(Hellsing Estate)_

"We are almost directly over Hellsing headquarters."

"Good," Zorin smirked. "All hands to battle stations."

It was just as the Major had said. Everything was going according to plan, and just as His Majesty had foretold. The man's foresight was truly impressive, but she couldn't allow herself to dwell on such things at the moment. For now, she merely needed to concentrate on blowing Hellsing Manor to smithereens and leaving no trace of survivors.

"Ma'am!" One of the men at one of the various command terminals turned to look at her. "The flagship is launching their V-1s. They're giving us support fire."

Zorin arched a single brow, readjusting the weight of her scythe across her shoulders. "The _Deus ex Machina_ is running interference for us, huh? Heh. Open wide, Helsling! You're in for a treat!" As reported, over two dozen flying V-1 bombs zoomed past their zeppelin and raced towards Hellsing Manor. It was somewhat unfortunate, in a way, to think that her precious blade might go thirsty tonight, but her own desire to enter the fray was not the ultimate objective. Zorin was aware that even though she might leave the battle disappointed, His Majesty would be immensely pleased with their success.

The V-1s continued their approach.

Suddenly, a loud ' _crack_ ' echoed throughout the night.

Without warning, the flying bombs all simultaneously exploded in midair.

Zorin's cigarette fell out of her mouth. "Our rockets! What in the hell is going on?! Status report!"

"We have sniper fire!" one of her subordinates replied. "Straight out of the Hellsing compound!"

Realization dawned on her. There was only one being currently in Hellsing's employ that could accomplish such a feat aside from Alucard. And it certainly wasn't Ichigo Kurosaki. _He_ wasn't expected to enter the battle until much later. "That bitch… bring up the searchlights! I want it bright as day down there!"

"But Sir, if we use the lights they'll be sure to fire upon us!"

"Just do it! That vampire whore can _already_ see us." Glaring hatefully down at the Hellsing compound, Zorin made herself a personal promise to find and torture Seras Victoria to death before the night was through. Granted, it went directly against her orders, but would the Major really be able to complain if she took out one of the Special War Potentials _for_ him? The zeppelin's spotlights came to life, and illuminated the building down below.

With her own advanced eyesight, Zorin was just able to make out the form of the former police woman on the mansion's rooftop. However, she also saw something else that was cause for more immediate concern. It wasn't Seras herself that was the problem…

No, the problem came in the form of the pair of absolutely _enormous_ anti-aircraft cannons strapped to her person. No ordinary individual would ever be able to wield such weaponry; the recoil generated would break every single bone in their body. Unfortunately, Alucard's fledgling didn't have to worry about such factors.

Scowling, Zorin bared her razor-sharp teeth.

"Kill her!"

* * *

Seras fell to a knee.

In her left ear, her wireless communicator buzzed. Pip Bernadotte's confident voice quickly followed. The Frenchman was situated in the control room, where he could monitor everything occurring outside from a safe distance through the security cameras. _"All twenty-four incoming projectiles have been destroyed. Your new equipment is nothing to scoff at, ma chérie. The Harkonnen II thirty-millimeter semi-automatic cannon. Its full range is nearly four kilometers, is it not? We're pulling out all the stops against these krauts, eh ma chérie? I'd certainly like to get my own hands on a toy like that…"_

"Do I really need to remind you that you already have a girlfriend, Mister Bernadotte?" she sighed in exasperation, rolling her eyes. Contrary to her typical nervous behavior, Seras had forced herself into a completely serious mindset. "Please stop calling me _'ma chérie'._ I have a name, and its Seras Victoria."

Pip laughed jovially. _"Apologies, ma chérie. Tell me, can you see London right now?"_

"Of course, I can."

If she squinted slightly, she could make out every bloody detail. She didn't really want to though; the carnage that Millennium's forces had already caused was something straight out of a nightmare. It looked like Hell had busted through the crust of the Earth and established its new base of operations within the limits of the city.

" _Personally, I can't stand London. Never could. It always seemed like such a stuffy and uptight town. We never saw eye to eye, 'ole London and me. But the boys would always drag me out to this one cabaret. The beer was ice cold and surprisingly tasty, which was great considering the only thing dumber than the bartender were those jokes of his. We'd also go to this cathouse, where they had they ugliest whores you'd ever seen. But you know…"_

Seras listened quietly, waiting for him to resume.

She wasn't quite sure where Pip was trying to go with this, but his tone had grown incredibly somber.

"… _those girls were still all real nice to us. Still, they had the saddest damn eyes. Then there was the lady with the place on Versailles Road. I never ordered her fish and chips, but it was all she'd ever serve me. I wanted to tell her that it was too greasy for me, but I didn't want to offend her. So, I choked it down… bite by bite…"_

The com link went quiet, but Seras could still hear as the commander of the Wild Geese swallowed thickly. He sounded like he might shed a few tears, and was desperately trying his best not to.

" _Let's win this, ma chérie. Let's win this for those common folks."_

A small smile took up residence of her face.

It only lasted a moment.

Eyes narrowing, Seras glared up at the zeppelin that loomed menacingly overhead. Blood raced through her veins, and she felt herself slowly become overtaken by a fury unlike anything she had ever felt before. Raising her cannons, she pointed them directly at the enemy dreadnaught and unleashed Hell.

Spent ammunition spilled out of her weapon with a resounding ' _clang'._

Opening her mouth, Seras released an enraged scream as she continued to tear massive holes into the zeppelin. Explosions rocked the flying craft, and she felt an immense sense of personal satisfaction as it slowly began to sink lower and lower through the air towards the ground. All the while, a thick trail of smoke followed behind it.

" _That's it, Seras!"_ Pip shouted, goading her on. _"Send them crashing down into the pits of Hell!"_

The zeppelin continued its downward descent until it finally crashed into the large grassy field directly in front of the mansion. The impact generated an earth-shaking explosion, and Seras was briefly forced to hold her fire and focus instead on maintaining her balance. As she found her footing, the blonde vampiress pressed a small button next to her weapon's left trigger. As ridiculous as it sounded, the _Harkonnen II_ mecha-shifted and brought forth its two incendiary grenades, which were each roughly the size of beach balls.

" _They're huge!"_ Pip exclaimed in her ear.

Ignoring him, Seras launched the grenades. The two projectiles soared through the air towards the downed aircraft, where they collided and kicked up an explosion that made the previous one look like nothing more than a firecracker.

The malicious intent emanating from the zeppelin quadrupled.

Whoever was inside was royally pissed.

Good.

It served the bastards right.

Over her communicator, Seras heard the rest of the Wild Geese cheer triumphantly.

"We're not through yet!" she exclaimed. "Stay cautious!"

" _You heard her, ladies!"_ Pip barked loudly. _"Keep on your toes! I have a feeling that we just crawled out of the frying pan and into the fire. Those undead fuckers are still gonna come at us with everything they've got."_

That was putting it lightly.

With all the damage they had taken, the Millennium soldiers would likely be seeking retribution.

Seras grimaced at the thought. Surely enough, several dozen humanoid shapes gradually appeared from the wreckage of the zeppelin against the backdrop of fire. She hadn't expected them to suffer too many casualties, but Seras had still hoped that their numbers would been thinned out significantly by the crash. Unfortunately, that did not appear to be the case.

The odds were _not_ stacked in their favor…

"What now, Mister Bernadotte?"

" _Fall back and reload."_

"Right!"

Unhooking the main body of her weapon from the cannon itself, Seras turned and sprinted across the roof towards the only door that would lead her back into the mansion. In her ear, her communicator continued to buzz as Pip began barking out orders.

" _All right, Wild Geese! It seems like it's time for us to take the stage. No more foreplay… these Nazis want it rough, and I'm feeling rather generous. Let's give them a wild night that they'll never forget! Lock and load, men!"_

The mercenaries all responded with a unified cry of support.

They were willing to fight, even though they all knew that they were likely going to die.

Seras respected them for it.

Still, it seemed the Wild Geese still had an abundance of tricks up their sleeves…

Explosions suddenly rocked the house, and Seras was forced to catch herself against the nearest wall. "What was that?!"

" _That would be the claymore mines my boys placed all over the yard,"_ Pip replied cheerily. He sounded quite pleased with himself. _"All sixty of them are packed full of blessed ball bearings. Our opponents are vampires, and they would all storm Heaven itself for a cooked goose dinner. If they are going to play dirty by entering the fray with such an advantage, then shouldn't we greet them with our own? Sounds pretty fair to me."_

"When did you-"

" _The Wild Geese are not the greatest fighting force, Miss Victoria. Confronting the enemy out in the open is such a messy affair, and we are mercenaries by nature. Dirty tricks like this are much more our speed."_

The explosions continued to go off.

Seras had to admit, it definitely sounded like they were effective. "How many enemy soldiers have fallen?"

" _I counted around forty or so individuals when they emerged from the wreckage. Our mines have taken out at least a couple of dozen since then. Their numbers have been cut down, but twenty vampires is still enough to give us a really bad night."_

"What do you suggest?"

" _If we can hold them off until dawn, then we win by default. Those musty old krauts can't be allowed to get inside the compound, otherwise it'll be over for us all before we can even pull up our pants and fasten our belts. Even with your help, Miss Victoria, we don't stand a chance at close combat. You might be able to do some damage, but my boys and I are all human. We'd fall eventually."_

"You don't think they'll retreat? It sounds like we have them pinned down."

Pip chuckled mirthlessly. _"You'd think so, eh? On any other night, I'd be fully confident in thinking that they'd run with their tails tucked between their legs. But these things aren't afraid of death, and we're down by several good fighters. Ichigo would be useful, even though he's just an ordinary guy like me. His close combat skills would likely prove to be invaluable. I'd honestly prefer to see Alucard's ugly mug though, all things considered."_

Dashing down a hallway, Seras briefly glanced out one of the windows to her right that looked out over the battlefield. What she saw made her eyes widen, and she abruptly skidded to a halt. "What the bloody hell?!"

Amongst the explosions, a positively enormous figure made of writhing purple shadows took shape. Its features gradually become more human, and in a matter of moments, it took on the appearance of a muscular woman wearing a dark green halter top and the bottom half of what looked like a standard combat uniform. It also wore black gloves on both hands; one of which grasped a horrifyingly gigantic scythe.

And to top it all off, the entire right side of the monster's body was littered with tattoos. The most prominent was a large pentagram in the middle of her forehead. Definitely not a good sign.

It was unbelievable!

The titanic woman was _easily_ sixty meters tall!

Despite herself, Seras felt her knees tremble.

From down the hall, several members of the Wild Geese ran up to join her. They too looked out at the approaching giantess, and their reactions quickly mirrored her own.

"What the _fuck_?!"

"How are we supposed to kill _that_?!"

It couldn't be real, could it?

This had to be some twisted figment of their imagination!

Yet, with every step the giant woman took, the ground beneath her feet was upturned. It was a very clear indication that she was indeed flesh and blood. Was this the power of one of the Sternritter? Seras remembered fighting the one in Brazil, but she hadn't personally encountered any more since then.

And honestly, she was quite glad.

If all of the Sternritter were so powerful, she didn't _want_ to fight them.

This time, it didn't look like she had a choice…

* * *

 **Brace yourselves for another long Author's Note.**

 **It's important, so PLEASE read it…**

 **The Battle of London has officially begun.**

 **And yes, I KNOW I said that I would be updating one of my other stories next, but as I've mentioned before, I've been feeling a surge of motivation for** _ **"Bloodstained Souls"**_ **recently. Given that, it wouldn't make sense to not take advantage of such motivation. In any case, allow me to share some points about this chapter, as well as some responses I have to several more reviews.**

 **Firstly, there has been at least one person in the review section who has begged and pleaded with me to abandon the concept of Ichigo's journey in the Underworld. This individual apparently feels as though such things don't matter, and that I should instead focus solely on the events of** _ **"Hellsing."**_

 **Look, to be quite frank, I understand that some of you might be impatient, but trying to tell me how to write my story will not do you any good. Nothing I do is just for the sake of it; everything I have written has been for a purpose and a reason. Ichigo has gone to the Underworld for a reason, and I hope you can be patient until I am ready to return him to London. PLEASE trust me when I say that I am working up to a certain moment that I think will be well worth the wait. I don't like to be unnecessarily firm with my readers, but some reviews are just unnecessarily demanding.**

 **Your patience WILL be rewarded, I promise.**

 **Now, let's discuss the chapter itself…**

 **Shelby Penwood really did go out like a boss, didn't he?**

 **I mean, even while watching the anime, I felt so much respect for the guy. He started out as a nervous wreck, and was portrayed as such thought most of the series. But then, he went out in a true blaze of glory and basically gave one final 'fuck you' to the vampires who were sent to kill him.**

 **Mad respect, Sir Penwood.**

 **Also, allow me to break down the scene where Anderson elected to escort Integra back to Hellsing Manor. All throughout the series, it is heavily implied that Anderson is not a bad person; he is only doing what he thinks is the right thing. In contrast, Enrico Maxwell eventually becomes drunk with power and abandons his calling to serve God in favor of fulfilling his own desires. And most of us know how that turned out. So yes, although Anderson is portrayed as a villain in the main series, this is only because his interest conflicts with Hellsing's. Even in the scene I wrote two chapters ago, I wasn't trying to make him act like a genuinely bad person.**

 **The only reason he even tried to abduct Yuzu and Karin was because he thought he would be saving their souls in the process. Not a bad person in the grand scheme of things, but he's definitely too extreme for his own good. And perhaps just a bit misguided.**

 **Am I trying to defend the kidnapping? No, of course no. I'm just saying that Anderson believed his cause was just, and he did genuinely want what was best for the Kurosaki girls.**

 **Many good people throughout history have done terrible things for the right reasons.**

 **That aside, the next chapter will once again focus on Ichigo. We ARE getting closer to his return to London, but a specific set of events needs to occur before that can happen. And, as I've teased before, we** _ **WILL**_ **see a fully empowered Ichigo combat Millennium when the time comes.**

 **Telling you anything more would be venturing dangerously close into spoiler territory…**

 **Also, while I'm thinking about it, let me go ahead and address yet ANOTHER somewhat irritated review I received for the last chapter. Thankfully, this reviewer was more cordial than the one I previously mentioned, but I'd still like to talk about his concerns.**

 **Let me be perfectly clear… I am NOT nerfing Sirzechs. Nor am I nerfing Azazel and Michael.**

 **Each of them is still as powerful as they are in the main** _ **"High School DxD"**_ **continuity, but I** _ **have**_ **raised the power levels of the actual gods in my story. Granted, I did do this because of a personal preference, but the Biblical Faction leaders are still each powerful enough to solo most of the other supernatural characters in the story. I can confidently say that Sirzechs could defeat Kenpachi quite easily. He could also beat Grimmjow and Ulquiorra without any trouble. And this is only while he is still confined to his human form.**

 **The only two people from Soul Society that could take him on and potentially win are Sosuke Aizen and the Captain Commander.**

 **In fact, here is a tier list that I have prepared to showcase how strong most of the characters in** _ **"Bloodstained Souls"**_ **are compared to one another. Keep in mind that some of these individuals have not appeared yet in the story itself, but they exist within the larger universe:**

 **-TOP TEN:**

 **1\. Ophis**

 **2\. Chaos**

 **3\. Shiva**

 **4\. Vishnu**

 **5\. Brahma**

 **6\. Ddraig (Unbound)**

 **7\. Albion (Unbound)**

 **8\. Gaea**

 **9\. Fenrir (Unbound)**

 **10\. Kronos (Full power)**

 **According to the author of** _ **"High School DxD",**_ **Indra, Thor, and Typhon replace the individuals of the Top Ten who are typically in their sealed forms. Sirzechs and Ajuka also ascend closer to the bottom of the list when they release their true forms. So, yes, although Sirzechs** _ **IS**_ **weaker than most gods for a good portion of the time while in his human form, his true form of Destruction allows him to surpass them. I have always had this in mind. My apologies for not clearing it up sooner. However, keep in mind that there is still a considerably large gap between the Top Ten and the Supreme Class, which is depicted below.**

 **-SUPREME CLASS:**

 **1\. Hades**

 **2\. Zeus**

 **3\. Poseidon**

 **4\. Odin**

 **5\. Amaterasu**

 **6\. Tiamat**

 **7\. Midgardsormr**

 **7\. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto (Shikai)**

 **8\. Libidine Gremory (Physical Form)**

 **9\. Sosuke Aizen (Base Level)**

 **10\. Sirzechs Lucifer (Physical Form)**

 **11\. Ichigo Kurosaki (Bankai + Hollowfication)**

 **12\. Rizevim Livan Lucifer**

 **13\. Shunsui Kyōraku**

 **14\. Jūshirō Ukitake**

 **Please note that some of these characters can climb higher on the list above when they transform in a certain way. For example, if the Captain Commander were to release his Bankai, he would elevate to a much higher spot. So would Aizen if he still had access to the Hōgyoku, or if he simply released his own Bankai. Likewise, Mugetsu Ichigo would be much higher.**

 **-SATAN CLASS:**

 **1\. Retsu Unohana**

 **2\. Kenpachi Zaraki (Eyepatch Intact)**

 **3\. Serafall Leviathan**

 **4\. Falbium Asmodeus**

 **5\. Tier Harribel (Base Level)**

 **6\. Nelliel Tu Odelschvank (Base Level)**

 **7\. Vali Lucifer (Imperio Juggernaut Drive)**

 **8\. Dragon King Tannin**

 **9\. Fafnir**

 **10\. Azazel**

 **11\. Michael**

 **12\. Isshin Kurosaki (Base Form)**

 **13\. Surtr Second**

 **14\. Grayfia Lucifuge**

 **15\. Alucard (Full Release)**

 **-ULTIMATE CLASS (TIER 3):**

 **1\. Shemhazai**

 **Yu-Long**

 **Vritra**

 **Vali Lucifer (Balance Breaker)**

 **Ichigo Kurosaki (Base Level)**

 **Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (Base Level)**

 **-ULTIMATE CLASS (TIER 2):**

 **Yasaka**

 **Souji Okita**

 **Baraquiel**

 **Most Shinigami Captains**

 **Remaining Espada**

 **Beowulf**

 **Issei Hyoudou (Cardinal Crimson Promotion)**

 **Siaroarg Bael (Balance Breaker)**

 **-ULTIMATE CLASS (TIER 1):**

 **Loki**

 **Issei Hyoudou (Balance Breaker)**

 **Seras Victoria (Imperfect Vampire)**

 **Sairoarg Bael (Base Form)**

 **Vali Lucifer (Base Form)**

 **Obviously, not every single character is on this tier list. Still, I hope it is enough for most people to get a clear idea of how most characters all stack up against one another. This list is purely based on physical power, and not combat ability. If combat ability were to be included, then things would be much different.**

 **I already know that many of you will likely disagree with what I have, but please keep two things in mind…**

 **Firstly, this is my personal opinion, so you are more than welcome to disagree. However, I implore you to keep your written disagreements civil and polite, otherwise I will completely ignore you. I will not force myself to deal with negativity that is being distributed just for the sake of it.**

 **Secondly, this is a fanfiction, and a crossover one at that. Some people will always be disappointed with the way their favorite characters compare to other from a different series, and that is understandable.**

 **However, keep in mind that I am not the author of** _ **"Bleach."**_

 **I am not the author of** _ **"Hellsing."**_

 **Nor am I the author of** _ **"High School DxD."**_

 **I will do my best to honor their work as best I can, but nothing will be perfect. If you want perfection and strictly canon material, then by all means go and read the source material. But for the love of God, do not complain to me when things do not happen in my story in the exact same way that they do in canon.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **No omake this time, I'm afraid. My brain is already fried from staying up half the night.**

 **AlucardsBro OUT!**


End file.
